


The Runaway Bride and her Trusty Wingman

by Space_AgeScribe



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Surfing, Team as Family, Team member goes rogue, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 15:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8583946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_AgeScribe/pseuds/Space_AgeScribe
Summary: When Teyla is pressured by the Athosians into an undesirable marriage, her friends go to great lengths to support her. One goes farther than the rest, throwing their future in Atlantis into jeopardy. Somewhat John/Teyla, but mostly friendship rather than romance.





	1. The Big News

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: Takes place sometime between 3x11 'The Return, Part Two' and early Season Four.
> 
> Warnings: Some of the characters say naughty words from time to time, but rest assured they later had their mouths washed out with soap.
> 
> Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters do not belong to me no matter how many wishes I make when I blow out my birthday candles. Thanks to the writers and actors who have given us such great characters to work with.

He knew something was wrong the moment she returned to the jumper. Lt. Col. John Sheppard hadn't minded spending the day with the Athosians, telling stories to the youngsters and teaching Jinto how to throw the football in a perfect spiral. The day had almost seemed to be a day off to him, but apparently things had not gone so well for Teyla.

They had flown over to the mainland that morning to deliver the latest shipment of trade goods for the Athosians. Halling had mentioned he wanted to speak to Teyla about village business, and Ronon and Zelenka had come along to get away from the city for a day. It was almost dinnertime when they gathered at the jumper. Tonight was cheeseburger night, and John was just reaching up to radio to Teyla to hurry it up when he saw her arrive through the trees, looking preoccupied and strangely down for having spent the day with her people.

She muttered an apology as she breezed down the central aisle and squeezed between the others to her usual seat beside John. Her drop into her seat lacked its normal grace, as did her handling of her P-90 as she kicked it aside from where it had lain in the jumper all day.

"Everything all right?" John asked quietly. "We can stay longer if you need more time."

She turned to him, tossing her head and forcing a smile onto her face. "No, thank you. I have no further business here today," she said calmly in a voice that most people in Atlantis interpreted as politeness. John knew better, but he let the matter drop for the moment.

For the rest of the flight home, Teyla stared forlornly out the window at the ocean passing beneath, although John was sure that her mind was far away. Ronon had noticed the change as well, but Sheppard had met his inquiring look with one that screamed 'not now'. Zelenka, thankfully unlike Rodney, was happy to sit in silence for the half-hour trip.

Teyla politely thanked the colonel for the ride on her way out. John watched her walk purposefully toward the jumper bay exit, stopping to speak with no one else.

"What's up with her?" Ronon asked, turning back to Sheppard.

John could only shrug his shoulders. For now, he wouldn't worry. Teyla could more than take care of herself.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Concern began to surface a couple of hours later when Teyla had failed to show up for a sparring session with Ronan and then dinner with the team. Rodney prattled on during the meal about some amazing discovery he would not have made today if he had been forced to spend the day on the mainland. However, even the scientist kept eyeing the empty chair next to him.

"One of us should go talk to her," said Ronon as he toyed with his piece of pie. John raised an eyebrow. If Ronon was playing with his food instead of devouring it whole, he must either be worried or dying. Today John placed money on the former. A moment later the colonel's eyebrows shot up as he realized his other two teammates were staring at him.

"What?" he asked a bit too defensively. "Maybe she just fell asleep or something."

They continued to give him skeptical looks. "You should talk to her," Rodney said. "Conan here would probably just grunt at her, and, well, I …"

"Face it, McKay, you don't know how to talk to a woman," Ronon retorted.

"I do too!" McKay shot back. "Just because I don't Kirk every woman with a pulse like Colonel Flyboy over here doesn't mean …"

Loud snorts from both John and Ronon cut him off. The team settled down again, and then McKay said, "Seriously, Colonel, you should be the one to talk to her. You know she'll do anything for you. She'll be more likely to talk to you than to us."

This time, to John's shock and dismay, Ronon nodded in agreement. Neither man's face suggested they were teasing the colonel. 'No, she's probably just more likely to kick my ass,' he thought.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He'd looked everywhere: the gym, the ops center, the mess hall again, even the rec rooms. That brought him here, where he now he paused outside her door before ringing the chime. Things definitely weren't good if Teyla was holing up in solitude.

John had waited long enough to contemplate using his link with the city to override the lock when the door slid partway open. John's heart sank. Teyla's normally vibrant, exotic features were pale and drawn as she hung back behind the door, leaning her cheek against it. "Yes, Colonel? Is there something I can do for you?" she asked, sounding tired.

All of the questions, reprimands, and sly remarks floating around in his head suddenly disappeared with her appearance. He stood for moment at a loss for words. Finally, he asked the only question now on his mind, "Are you all right?"

She sighed and looked down toward the floor. 'No, this definitely isn't good,' he thought. Teyla seemed to gather her composure, then raised her chin and looked him in the eye. John picked up the slight tremor in her voice that others would likely have missed: "Please come in. We need to talk."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

John walked in, surreptitiously surveying Teyla's room. Several candles were lit around the room and a blanket lay on the floor, suggesting he had interrupted her meditation. 

"We missed you at dinner tonight, Teyla," he said, turning to face her. He held out the sandwich, apple, and bottle of water he had snagged for her from the cafeteria on his way down.

"Thank you," Teyla said softly, taking the food and setting it on the table in the corner without looking him in the eye. Finally, she took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Colonel…"

John immediately cut her off. If something was wrong, he was going to fix it, not allow the Athosian to become formal with him. "Teyla, will you please use my name?" he asked, somewhat frustrated. "I'm here as your friend, not your C.O."

Teyla paused for a moment; when she finally said 'John', it came out with a hitch in her voice. She looked up at him, seeming almost afraid of how he would react to the news she was about to deliver, and her resolve crumbled. John hesitated for a moment as the strongest woman he had ever known burst into tears in front of him, but then placed he his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her with a concerned gaze.

But a few moments later she still struggled to gain control and John couldn't take it any more. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder. John was not a demonstrative man by nature, and their close friendship rarely strayed beyond platonic gestures (contrary to what the rumor mill on Atlantis said). Usually their hugs were awkward, but tonight he rested his cheek on top of her head, smelling the scent of her shampoo, and gently rubbed her back. For a moment, he couldn't help but think how right she felt in his arms, but he instantly chastised himself and crammed it into the overstuffed box in his mind marked 'Do Not Enter, EVER.'

Finally her sobs died to hiccups and Teyla slowly regained her composure. After this, she thought, he would either be very supportive or never speak to her again. She was dreading this more than anything, but her respect for John Sheppard demanded that she look him in the eye when she told him.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up into the hazel eyes that had looked after her so well and took his hands in hers. "Today Halling told me about arrangements my people have made for me as the time has come…"

"John, I'm getting married."

TBC


	2. The Big Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The bedroom scene (not THAT sort of bedroom scene, people – minds out of the gutter!) in this chapter was inspired by Donna Lynn's lovely fic 'Night Angel' over on fanfiction.net.

At that moment, John Sheppard's life came crashing down around him. He no longer noticed the room around him or the sounds of the city, only her brown eyes looking back at him. His mind spun. He should say something, but what? John spun around, looking out the window and nearly punching the wall before he regained some control.

After moving his mouth a couple of times with no sound, John cleared his throat and said, "Congratulations!" The statement lacked spirit, though. Storming out of the room crossed his mind, but one look at Teyla's face and that idea was canned. She still looked like she wanted to burst into tears.

It dawned on him. "You don't want to do this, do you?" he asked gently.

"Unfortunately, this is not about what I want," she said bitterly, before closing down and falling back into her role as the stoic leader.

"Who is it?" he asked.

Teyla sighed. "He is the leader of several agricultural villages on a planet my people have traded with for quite some time," she said. "I have met him, although it has been many years…"

"Great, so a man you hardly know?" he asked, throwing up his hands. "How can you not have a say in this?"

"John," she said gently. "When Halling told me of the arrangement, I agreed."

John looked at her sadly. "Teyla, for once put yourself over your people's wishes! Is a political alliance with these people so important for the Athosians?"

"Unlike your people, the people of this galaxy do not always have the luxury of marrying for love," she snapped at him. "The Wraith have seen to that."

John stood silently, watching her for a moment. He didn't want to anger her. Teyla deserved to be happy more than anyone on Atlantis. He cleared his throat. "You know, whatever happens, I still want you to be a part of my team. You'll always be welcome here in the city."

Some of the tension finally drained from Teyla's shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely. She placed her hands on John's shoulders and their foreheads met. They held that pose for a long time.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After leaving Teyla's quarters, John had gone for a long run despite all of his activity that day. He had hoped to clear his mind and work off some of the nervous energy, but even after he had showered and collapsed into bed, his physical exhaustion couldn't triumph over his mind, which was still in overdrive.

Teyla, his Teyla, was to be married to a man she didn't know, and who probably didn't know her. Wait a minute, when did he start thinking of her as his? It didn't matter. What did matter was that she wasn't happy, and tonight he had finally admitted to himself that when she wasn't happy, he couldn't be either.

What was this guy like? Would he be good to her? Would she still be in John's life? Would her new husband cherish her like John did? 'Whoa, what did THAT come from?' he asked himself.

No, the real question was, could John carry on without her.

After he had returned from Afghanistan, divorced Nancy, faced court-martial and basically turned his back on everything in his life, he had wondered if his heart had completely hardened. He admired beautiful women, but he figured his days of being in love were over. It was the price he paid to protect people …until the day that, freshly arrived in a brand-new galaxy and a brand-new life, he walked into a tent to meet the steady gaze of the Athosian leader.

It wasn't Teyla's exotic looks, or her fighting abilities (although those had been pretty impressive). No, it was Teyla's strength and the depth and kindness of her soul that forced his respect for her to increase every day. This wasn't the infatuation of his earlier marriage. It was something deeper. She was his best friend, someone he'd always allowed in when he shut out everyone else. The one person he could always talk to. Her eyes saw straight into his thoughts; he could never get away with lying to her. It took him such a long time to admit it to himself, but somewhere along the way that deep-seated respect had turned into love.

Of course, he told himself, he would never get to show her how much he loved her. That was his penance for all of the failures in his life, he told himself. But he would make sure he'd still have a role in her new life. From now on, he would be there for her whenever she needed him. He would help her prepare for the wedding. He would always have her six.

All this pontificating wasn't helping him fall asleep.

Around three o'clock he heard a noise outside the door. Another tentative knock came a moment later. If the Wraith were attacking or the city was being otherwise invaded, someone already would have radioed him or blown in the door. This was something else.

Thanking the Ancients once again for his genes, he thought the door open and pushed himself up on his elbow. Even in the near-darkness, he could see the familiar grace of Teyla's movements. She jumped slightly as the door hissed closed behind her.

"I am sorry," she whispered. "I couldn't sleep and I am exhausted. Would you mind if I slept in here?"

"Sure," he said in a rough voice. He threw back his covers in invitation when she started moving toward the couch. "You don't have to whisper, either. There's no one else here."

He could hear as well as see the smile on her face. "Well, then. I don't feel so badly about waking you."

"Don't worry, you didn't wake me," he said as he wrapped his arm around her and she lay her head on his shoulder. They did this whenever either of them suffered from nightmares, hers of the Wraith and his of the parade of all those he had failed to protect, although usually she slept on the couch. Lack of sleep and the deep darkness of the night in a nearly-empty alien city could leave a person, no matter how strong, feeling alone and vulnerable. It allowed them to sleep at night.

Tonight was no different, but as they drifted off, if each held the other just a bit tighter, each chalked it up to their imagination.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Elizabeth Weir took a moment from her paperwork to watch the gateroom activity through the glass walls of her office. Personnel were busy with their normal tasks, but they had cheerfully taken on the added burden of the upcoming nuptials. Teyla was well-liked on Atlantis, and after all she had given the Lanteans, they were eager to help her organize supplies and ferry visitors to the mainland.

As she watched Chuck work at the dialing station, she saw Col. Sheppard lean over his shoulder and point to something on the computer screen. Sheppard was handling this better than she thought he would. She had expected a blow-up of some sort, but the colonel had thrown himself into the preparations.

Teyla, on the other hand, had been surprisingly solemn about the whole affair. Elizabeth had congratulated her immediately upon her announcement, but she wasn't sure if Teyla's reticence was cultural or something more.

Sheppard had insisted the team accompany Teyla and the Athosian contingent to the home planet of her betrothed to officially meet him. As it turned out, the years had not been kind to Kannath. He had looked much older than Teyla, had a round paunch, and was arrogant and obnoxious from the start. The man made Rodney look like a shoo-in for Mr. Congeniality. He had taken one look at Teyla and immediately announced, "She'll do real nicely", and that, "no wife of mine's gonna run around the galaxy with the likes of you."

To everyone's amazement, Teyla managed to avoid decking the guy and instead smiled tightly, but anyone who knew her understood the danger lurking beneath that smile. John and Ronon would gladly have stepped in just then if it wouldn't have earned them spots number two and three on that day's hit-list. The only outward reaction was Rodney's snort. Teyla's lack of reaction to that told them all they needed to know about her feelings on the situation.

Elizabeth was still pondering the mystery of Teyla's reluctance when Col. Sheppard snapped her out of her reverie by knocking on her doorframe. "Mind if I come in?"

"No, not at all, John," she said. "Come in. How are things going?"

"Semi-organized chaos," he joked. "Still, we're ready to ship out the first supplies to the planet." The wedding was to be held in Kannath's main village in four days.

"Glad to hear it. Sounds like a typical wedding," she joked. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. She lowered her voice. "How are you doing, John?"

He could see a bit of …what, sadness? pity? … in Elizabeth's eyes. He cleared his throat and studied one of the statuettes on her desk, immediately clamping down on his emotions. "Before I forget, I have a favor to ask. After the wedding I'd like to take leave for a week or so. Do some hiking, maybe check out the surf on Planet Paradise."

M6G-877 had been dubbed 'Planet Paradise' because of its stable weather, sunny skies, and lack of aggressive wildlife or sentient habitation. It had been well-scouted, and Atlantis personnel often went there for breaks away from the city.

"Is anyone going with you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nah," he said. "Rodney would just whine the whole time and Ronon doesn't appreciate the finer points of water sports."

"You will check in every day," she said, going against her better judgment.

"Let's negotiate that later," he said, looking at his watch. "I'll sign out the jumper and use it to ferry supplies. I can leave straight from there so I don't have to bother coming back to Atlantis after the wedding."

"Fair enough," Elizabeth said. His request didn't surprise her. John Sheppard was a private man and needed some space. After the wedding, he would be in no mood to deal with people. Maybe she could send Ronon and Rodney through after a couple of days to make sure John was okay, and that his reputation as a trouble-magnet in the Pegasus Galaxy hadn't preceded him.

Only after he left did she realize he hadn't answered her question.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After the mission to meet Kannath, John had flown over to the mainland under the guise of picking up a science team in order to have a quiet word with Halling. He had tried to plead Teyla's case, to see if there was any way she could pull out of this situation gracefully, but Halling could not help him.

"It has always been the way of our people, Colonel. In fact, we've been quite lenient with Teyla because of our constant upheaval these past few years. Usually a leader of her age would have been married for quite some time and have had several children."

"Halling, you have a new home and new allies now, so why can't you have new customs too?" Sheppard asked, realizing he was sounding slightly like a petulant teenager. He also realized he didn't care. "What is forcing her to marry that guy going to accomplish?"

"Colonel, a deal has been made," Halling said patiently. "To back away now would tarnish the reputation of the Athosian people. The new alliance will be beneficial for both sides."

"So in other words, she's your sacrifice," Sheppard said, his voice becoming flat. "After all she has done for your people, now she has to sacrifice her happiness, too."

"She is lucky," Halling reminded him. "Unlike so many of our people, she is still alive to make that choice."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Teyla, Ronon and Rodney sat in the mess hall after the dinner rush had quieted. The two men had practically licked their plates clean, but Teyla had merely picked at her fish, oblivious to the fact Ronon had been watching her for several minutes while Rodney prattled on.

"You don't want to go through with this, do you?" Ronon asked her when Rodney paused for breath.

Teyla started, then sighed and slumped back down to rest her temple on her fist. "It is my duty to my people," she said.

"Oh, come on," Rodney said, obviously winding up for another rant. "You can't beat him for personality." The two Pegasus natives turned and looked at him. "What?" he asked, putting up his hands.

Ronon actually cracked a smile but Teyla just looked down again, so Rodney cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, anyone know where Sheppard is? It's almost his bedtime."

Ronon chuckled. Sheppard had been running around constantly the past few days, helping to organize the wedding in addition to his regular duties and had probably forgotten about eating. Ronon reached up and clicked on his radio.

"Sheppard, get your ass down to the mess hall before McKay goes for seconds. There's not going to be anything left," he said, keeping his eyes on Rodney to watch for a reaction.

Naturally, the scientist began spluttering just as Sheppard's amused voice came back: "Sorry, lost track of time. Try to distract him for a couple of minutes while I make a run for it."

Just then, a call came for Teyla asking her to sort out some important wedding matter, so she reluctantly took her leave. "I will see you in the morning," she told the two men, then picked up her tray and walked away. Ronon watched her walk out and exchange greetings as Sheppard almost ran through the doors. Sheppard said something to Teyla that elicited the tiniest of smiles from her before both turned and headed in opposite directions. Ronon grinned again. His teammates could be pretty entertaining, especially when they didn't realize they were being watched.

His grin faded a minute later, though, when Sheppard plopped down at the table. Up close, the man looked like crap. His face was pale and tired, and he slumped at the table in exhaustion. This morning he had been almost curled around his cup of coffee and hadn't taken more than a few bites of his bagel, and tonight he seemed more intent on creating designs in his mashed potatoes than eating them. The adrenaline from the constant running was likely the only way Sheppard was staying upright at the moment.

"Are you going to eat that or make mess hall feng shui?" Rodney snapped.

"What?" Sheppard's head snapped up. Rodney huffed. The man obviously hadn't been paying attention.

"Eat, Sheppard," Ronon said.

"What are you, my mother?" Sheppard said, irritated.

"Eat your vegetables so you grow big and tall," Rodney mimicked.

Sheppard rolled his eyes, then looked indignant when Ronon said, "Well, at least he's got the tall part down."

"It's all the hair. It adds at least a couple of inches," Rodney sniped.

"At least I have hair," Sheppard shot back.

Once the bickering had died down, Ronon casually asked, "So how's the planning going?"

Sheppard rolled his eyes while he chewed some chicken-like meat. "Utter insanity. I can't believe there are sadistic people out there who enjoy this."

Rodney cut in and started ranting about the antiquated demands societies placed on individuals to fulfill a basic biological requirement and the recent trend toward materialism, but stopped when two pairs of eyes looked over at him skeptically. "What?" Two pairs of eyebrows rose, and Rodney decided it was time to make his exit. "I'll see you primitives later."

Ronon purposely grunted at Rodney as he left the table, then turned to Sheppard as the colonel gave the scientist a weak wave.

"What's up?" he asked Sheppard pointedly.

"That's what I like about you, Ronon. Always cutting to the heart of the matter," Sheppard said.

Ronon ignored the attempted change in conversation and stared at John.

"Look, things are just really busy right now," Sheppard said. "Don't worry, I'm going to take some time off afterward."

Ronon resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. "Think Teyla would care if we just shot the guy and put everyone out of their misery?" he asked.

"Probably not," Sheppard said, snorting. "Elizabeth might have a word or two to say, though."

The Satedan watched Sheppard pretend to eat. He was worried: Throughout the week, he watched his friend erecting walls, closing himself off from what lay ahead. Earlier today, Sheppard had been particularly vicious when they sparred. Although it wasn't anything Ronon couldn't handle, he had seen Sheppard stumble but quickly recover, apparently from a dizzy spell. None of them would admit it, but things were falling apart; Ronon wondered what it would take to put his team back together again after this whole thing was over.

"Sheppard," he said, waiting to make eye contact with the colonel. "Whatever you need to do, just do it."

TBC


	3. The Big Idea

"Do you think toilet paper would clog the drive pods?" Major Lorne asked Radek Zelenka as they watched Col. Sheppard direct various supplies into the jumpers for transport to the wedding. Some of the marines had toyed with the idea of decorating one of the jumpers as the Bride Mobile, but worry about unintentionally damaging the ship caused that plan to be scrapped. Still, a guy could dream.

Radek snorted. "Could you imagine the fit Rodney would have if he saw that? Especially if it was raining on the other side."

"Especially if Sheppard made him clean it off," Lorne added. Both men chuckled.

The wedding was to take place tomorrow afternoon, but many of the senior staff were traveling to Kannath's world today to help with the set-up. The women of Atlantis were especially keen to help, which the men found alternately amusing and disconcerting.

"Does it really matter where all of these boxes go?" Radek asked Lorne quietly as Sheppard intercepted a box being pushed toward Jumper 4. "They're just going to be unpacked on the other side."

Lorne shrugged. "You never know with Colonel Sheppard," he said with a grin. Still, the colonel had been a bit manic this week, never stopping to sit down. He actually hadn't foisted too much work off on his second-in-command, but Lorne knew that he would make up for it by being in charge of the military on Atlantis for the next week or so. He wasn't bothered by the added burden. Lord knows Sheppard deserved some time off. Every time the man tried to put up his feet, another emergency arose. Lately, the colonel looked like he was run off his feet. Still, the man had never shirked his duties, even simple ones like leading orientation for the new grunts fresh off the Daedalus.

"Ready to go, sir?" Lorne asked as Sheppard approached him a few minutes later. The man looked tightly wound.

"Yeah, we're good," Sheppard said, bouncing on his toes and looking around a bit nervously. "We just need Teyla. I'll take her if the other jumpers want to start moving through."

Lorne got the pilots to their jumpers while Sheppard radioed down to the control room to dial the gate. As the major's jumper rose into the air and prepared to lower into the gateroom, Lorne saw Teyla walk into the jumper bay flanked by Ronon and Rodney. She looked worn out, her shoulders slightly slumped, although she still held her regal bearing as she approached Sheppard, standing in the entrance to the jumper.

"Ready?" Sheppard asked her with forced cheerfulness.

She sighed. "As ready as I shall ever be, I suppose." With that, she trudged up the ramp, the guys watching her back with raised eyebrows.

"She was out for blood when we were sparring earlier. I had to threaten to carry her down here before she'd leave," Ronon said quietly to John. They exchanged glances, then Ronon clapped Rodney on the shoulder and steered him back down the ramp when the scientist tried to board the jumper. "McKay, where do you think you're going?" he asked.

Rodney sputtered. "We're walking? How come they get to ride and we have to walk? I'm a busy man. Besides, allergies anyone?"

As they walked away, Ronon humored Rodney. "You need the exercise, McKay. You'll survive." Then the former Runner made a show of setting his blaster to stun. "Don't worry, I'll keep all the kids away from you." Rodney's response was lost as they walked out the door.

John chuckled and threaded his way through an interior littered with boxes and crates. He was grateful that Ronon was willing to give them at least a few minutes to themselves; the runner had been the one to set down camping gear on the two rear seats of the cockpit, leaving room for only two occupants.

Teyla sat staring out the window. She was usually very aware of her surroundings, losing herself out the window only when a particularly wonderous sight greeted them. Today, though, there was only a blank wall in front of them.

"Earth to Teyla," Sheppard said, frowning as he rethought his use of the phrase. "Hello?"

She turned to look at John and cocked an eyebrow with the first bit of humor John had seen in her in days. "Tell me, Colonel. Is it customary for your people to bring surfboards to weddings?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Elizabeth walked through the gate with Carson and Sergeant Henderson. Kannath, flanked by several villagers, was waiting for them. Elizabeth involuntarily shuddered when she got her first real look at the man, but hopefully he was too preoccupied to notice. She put on her best diplomatic smile and moved forward to greet him. "Kannath, it is an honor to finally meet you."

Kannath looked her and mumbled something, but ignored her outstretched hand. Instead, he peered over her shoulder at the supplies and people coming through. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Despite all of her diplomatic training, Elizabeth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Her name is Teyla," she said coolly.

Kannath grunted again but didn't take his eyes from the stargate. 'He makes Ronon look like an intellectual conversationalist,' she thought wryly.

Sheppard's jumper was the last through the gate before it shut down. He landed at the far end of the line of jumpers, the rear hatch facing the village for easier unloading. The people on foot had made the half-mile walk to the village by this time to help unload.

Inside the jumper, John and Teyla sat silently, watching the activity outside. The rear hatch lowered and two marines entered to begin the unloading.

"Hey, Sergeant," John called out to him. "Could you work on the other jumpers first? I'd like to have a word with Teyla."

"Yes, sir!" the man said as he and his colleague walked back down the ramp. John didn't comment, but he was pretty sure he heard a grumbled comment about closing the bulkhead door instead.

The ramp closed and the sounds outside were once again muted. John turned to Teyla and realized his hands were shaking slightly. This was the moment that could make or break the rest of his life. Until now, he wasn't sure he would have the guts to go through with this, but one look at her unhappy face and his resolve strengthened. He cleared his throat.

"Teyla," he said gently. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She continued to stare outside and sighed. "Yes. It will help my people."

"Damn it, Teyla!" John said. He realized desperation was seeping into his voice. "I don't care what the Athosian leader wants." His voice softened. "What does Teyla the woman, my friend, want?"

She flinched slightly, then crinkled her brow. 'She's never given this possibility much thought,' he realized.

"I do not want to marry this man," she said finally. Her breathing hitched and she rubbed her forehead. "I wish this deal had never been made."

"Teyla, please, look at me," he said as he reached across the DHD to touch her arm. She turned, looking him in the eye.

"I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to give me an honest answer. Forget what anyone else has said to you. Forget duty," he said, holding her gaze. "I'll support whatever decision you make."

He paused. It was now or never. "If you could leave this planet right now and not go through with the wedding, would you? Not worrying about agreements or reputations, if no one could hold you at fault?"

She looked at him for a moment, slightly sucking in her cheeks in contemplation the way she did the first time they met, when he asked her if he stared through her like Colonel Sumner had.

"If I could be anywhere but here right now, and if somehow this wedding could be called off, I would do it. But my people are relying on me…" she trailed off, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself.

Sheppard nodded. She had given him an honest answer. He hadn't been sure he could trust her to think of herself for once. "Teyla, I can make this happen. Right now. It will not be your fault, it will be mine, someone who is not Athosian. I'll abide by whatever you decide. Just tell me, yes or no?"

He held his breath, and he could see her straightening up slightly as she did when she was gathering her resolve. She exhaled and nodded.

His heart skipped a beat. "You sure? I'm not entirely sure what the consequences will be … and I don't want you to beat the crap out of me later on."

Teyla had to smile. "I am sure," she said.

He grinned, and by the time he had turned to face the front again, the jumper had already powered up and they were lifting into the air. Before she even had time to process what was happening, John was dialing the 'gate and they were flying for it at full speed.

Kannath had been pacing directly behind the jumper while Sheppard and Teyla had been talking, even banging on the ramp with his fist and ranting about Teyla being his woman and no one else's. Elizabeth wondered at the delay, but she also knew how close John and Teyla were. This might be their last chance to spend time alone together before the wedding. She hoped they would hurry as Kannath was becoming more and more obnoxious as time went on. Her role as diplomat had flown out the door a few minutes ago, and she was glad for the presence the other Lantians and Athosians, who were gathering to see what the fuss was about.

Suddenly, the jumper powered up and rose into the air. A few clumps of dirt rained down on Kannath as he stood almost directly beneath the ship. Livid, he turned to the marines and started swearing, tell them to shoot the jumper down. When no one pulled out the big guns, he stomped over to Elizabeth and started screaming in her face. Determined not to give in despite the personal space issue and flying spittle, Elizabeth was glad to feel Ronon and the marines close in behind her.

Silence descended a moment later upon the entire group when the jumper disappeared through the distant gate.

TBC


	4. The Big Mess

Two of the soldiers stationed near the gate had caught a glimpse of the symbols. John's earlier words about wanting to take a break on Planet Paradise popped into her mind, and the symbols fit perfectly. Great, so the head of the Atlantis military contingent had just kidnapped an alien woman from her wedding and taken her surfing. Mama never told her there'd be days like this.

"Ronon," Elizabeth said as they hiked back to the gate. "I don't suppose you know anything about this, do you?" After the wormhole had closed down, everyone's face had registered shock except for Ronon, who had a slight smirk on his face.

"Nope," he said.

Great, this was exactly what she needed right now. "Then why were you smirking? You know something."

He shrugged. "Don't know anything. Was kind of hoping he'd figure something out. I was as surprised as the rest of you when he pulled it off."

Elizabeth clenched her teeth. The last thing she needed right now was people admiring John's work.

Kannath had waited back on his planet with most of the Lanteans and the jumpers while Elizabeth headed back to Atlantis with Ronon, Halling and Major Lorne in tow. Unless Sheppard had seriously lost it, she was pretty sure he would at least call home to let them know they were okay.

Halling was furious. "How could Colonel Sheppard do such a thing?" he asked. "He has betrayed my people." Then he seemed to calm a bit. "I should have suspected he had something planned when he came to me."

Elizabeth stopped short. "He came to see you? When?"

"He did not tell you? He stopped on his way to pick up one of your botany teams from the mainland a few weeks ago," Halling said. "Colonel Sheppard demanded that Teyla be let out of the agreement. However, she is the one who agreed to this marriage."

Ronon snorted. "Did she really have a choice? As far as I can tell, Sheppard's the only one who cared about what she thought. Everyone was so blinkered by this wedding that no one stopped to look."

"But Teyla doesn't let people force her to do things she doesn't want to do," said Rodney, who had caught up to them just as they arrived at the stargate. "Why did Sheppard go all medieval and kidnap her?"

"It was obvious," Ronon answered. "Think about it. Did you ever see her really happy about this? When was the last time she smiled?"

Elizabeth studied the grass in front of the stargate. Ronon surprised her with his perceptiveness sometimes, but now that she thought about it, he was right. Teyla had been unhappy, but they had all been too focused on the ceremony and celebration to pay attention to the bride. But what Sheppard did was wrong. They could have talked this out. Now, there were going to be repercussions, for all of them.

"Idiot," Rodney muttered, and she agreed, regardless of to whom it was applied.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The jumper came flying out of the gate on Planet Paradise, but instead of finding a place to land, Sheppard executed a quick turn. As soon as the gate shut down, he quickly punched in another set of coordinates.

"Where are we going?" Teyla asked, feeling her stomach tighten.

"M2R-462," he answered, not taking his eyes off the gate. "I wanted an intermediary gate."

Teyla couldn't help but smile. Despite the gravity of the situation and the recklessness of Sheppard's plan, he was still protecting his people by going first to a safe world in case anyone followed them through. She wondered if he was actually aware of how deeply his protective streak ran.

They once again headed through the gate, emerging on a sunny planet. John set the jumper down not far away. For a moment, neither of them dared to even breathe as the enormity of what they had just done hit them.

"Oh, shit," Sheppard breathed, and Teyla had to agree with him. He immediately turned to her and said, "Listen, if you want to back out, just let me know and I'll make sure you get through the gate okay. I'll understand."

Teyla felt a bit nauseous and realized her hands were shaking. Still, the thought of going back terrified her far more than staying here. They sat in silence for a while, each processing the situation. Sheppard figured that whoever was in charge of hunting them down would take one look at his record and say 'I told you so'. But for Teyla, this was far more impulsive than anything she had ever done before. That could always provide a good cover if he had to pretend he had taken her offworld against her will.

Finally, he broke the silence. "We should call home and let the parents know that we're gonna stay out tonight."

He quickly punched in the gate address to Atlantis, and both watched as the wormhole stabilized. Taking a deep breath and feeling even more nervous than the time he told his father he'd damaged the car when he was seventeen, John began talking.

"Atlantis, this is Colonel Sheppard. Do you copy?"

"Atlantis copies, Colonel," Chuck said. "Please hold on for a moment."

In seconds Elizabeth came on the radio, and John was glad there was no video link so she could not see him cringing.

"Colonel, what the hell has gotten into you?" she said frostily. At the same time, Rodney's voice came on, asking, "What were you thinking, Sheppard?"

"We're fine, thanks," John said, trying to keep his voice light.

"I'm serious, Colonel," she said. Ouch, she's sticking with the title, he thought.

"Surprisingly, so am I," he said. "I wasn't going to let a member of my team get stuck in that situation against her will."

"You didn't seem to give Teyla much of an option when you locked her in the jumper, Colonel. Let me speak to her. Now!" Elizabeth demanded. "And please tell me you didn't stun her."

"No, Elizabeth," Teyla said. "I am fine."

"Teyla," Elizabeth said, gently this time as though not wanting to frighten her. "Can you tell me where you are? Are you on Planet Paradise?"

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Teyla answered. "I didn't catch the address before we came through." She glanced at John out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, we're not on Planet Paradise, so you can save the manpower," John added.

"Teyla, do you have access to the gate?" Elizabeth asked.

John cut off Teyla's answer. "Sorry, she doesn't. We'll keep in touch, so you don't have to worry about us. We'll call back in 12 hours. Don't trash the place while we're gone."

"Colonel, I fully expect you to return immediately and explain your …" Just then, Sheppard shut down the wormhole. Teyla looked at him, surprised. "What?" he asked somewhat defensively. Teyla hadn't seen his similar maneuver at the Midway Station when the team was returning to Pegasus to reclaim Atlantis from the Replicators.

"Was that not rather abrupt? You will just make Elizabeth angrier," she said.

"Maybe, but this way they still think I'm the one with a screw loose who's controlling the situation, and you can't be blamed for leaving," he said.

They sat silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "I'm gonna head to a good campsite a few miles in. If you want to bail, it's now or, well, until I fly you back to the gate."

Teyla took one look at the stargate, then turned back to him. "I have never seen you use your surfboard. Perhaps you can explain surfing to me."

He smiled and took off.

Sheppard flew for a few minutes until he reached the coast. During that time, Teyla suddenly seemed to realize the gravity of her situation and began to fidget. He set the jumper down in a clearing just off a beach and powered down. Teyla immediately popped up and opened the back hatch, charging out into the clearing. She began pacing back and forth, hands on the sides of her head.

"Oh, John. What have I done?"

His heart sank. John was secretly glad they were farther from the gate and she couldn't just bolt, but he had never seen Teyla this worked up. She seemed … like a normal (i.e. slightly crazy) Earth woman. It looked like he'd have to be the calm one for a moment. Yup, the crazy-haired wedding kidnapper was the rational voice. Yup, they were screwed.

"We, Teyla. We just executed a strategic withdrawal from a situation that really sucked," he said.

"But … my people. Kannath will be furious. My people will probably disown me now," she said before turning on him. "Why did you do this to me? How could you?"

"Because I couldn't stand to see my best friend stuck in that situation! No one was giving you a choice, Teyla, and I wanted to give you one!" he answered desperately.

Teyla was deciding whether to demand John fly her back to the gate, using violence if necessary, or just give in to her girlish urge to get her bantos sticks and take her emotions out on a defenseless tree when she took a closer look at the colonel and felt the fight drain out of her.

Although his dark hair was as spiky as ever, his face was pale and his features looked drawn. The man looked tired, like the slightest blow would cause him to shatter. Then it hit her. He had just put everything on the line for her: his command, his freedom, his home, his friends. His future and his life. For her. He was willing to risk everything just so she could be happy, even if he could not be a part of it. Tears pricked in her eyes. Although her people looked after each other and were even willing to die defending one another, never before had anyone given everything just for her happiness.

She looked around them. Birds were singing in the trees, a warm breeze blew through her hair, and she could hear waves crashing on the beach. John stood a few of feet in front of her, watching her closely yet cautiously. She closed her eyes, inhaled the sweet scent of warm earth, and smiled. In this one moment, save for the minor detail of having just run away from her wedding, life was perfect.

She opened her eyes, and John let himself relax into a smile as well. "We should set up camp," she said. "It appears to be late in the afternoon on this planet."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Elizabeth once again clenched her jaw as she rounded the table in the conference room. At this rate, she wouldn't have any teeth left by next week. During their time in Atlantis, she and John Sheppard had butted heads many times, but it was normally about ethical or political issues. He was reckless and impulsive, but he had always directed that toward protecting the city, trying to save its inhabitants by sacrificing himself. This time, though, to kidnap Teyla because he had just snapped, went far beyond any indiscretion he had committed before. What would she tell the SGC? More importantly, could she allow John Sheppard to stay on Atlantis after this stunt?

Major Lorne shook his head as he sat down at the table. "You gotta hand it to him. Whatever people say about the colonel, he's good. He arranged everything. He even left a file on the desktop of his computer detailing upcoming assignments, and he actually finished all his paperwork before he left."

That was probably one of the biggest indicators to Elizabeth of how dedicated the colonel had been to his plan, and no one had seen it coming. She looked down at her notes. "He did cover himself well. He arranged to take this as vacation time, so he's not technically AWOL. He also signed out the jumper, so he hasn't stolen that."

"The same for his weapons and all of the equipment he left with," Lorne added.

Elizabeth was still trying to decide if she was angry enough with him to charge him with kidnapping and said so. Ronon, standing in the corner, said, "Why are you looking to bust him?" he asked, using terminology he had picked up from the marines. "Why not just leave them alone until this blows over?"

Rodney piped up: "Are you crazy? Look at how much trouble he's caused! Besides, it's obvious he lost it. He kidnapped Teyla! I don't know about you, Conan, but where we come from, that's not cool."

"And who said he kidnapped her?" he asked.

"Ronon, we saw Colonel Sheppard close the jumper and take off through the gate," Elizabeth said patiently.

Ronon snorted. "Teyla didn't sound too distressed when we talked to her. She would have given us a clue. Besides, unless he had her tied up head to toe, Teyla would have kicked his ass and gotten to the gate by now." He took in all the incredulous looks around him. "She chose to go with him."

"It's true," Carson said somewhat reluctantly from his seat beside Rodney. "Teyla is one of the few people who can take the colonel down, and she isn't afraid of him. He obviously hadn't stunned her, and I don't think he would have had enough time to subdue and restrain her between leaving Kannath's world and dialing Atlantis."

"But why…" Elizabeth stopped as Rodney began snapping his fingers.

"Of course! As long as he's Colonel Crazy, no one can blame Teyla, and the Athosians don't lose face," he said.

"Now you're getting it," Ronon said.

This revelation didn't make Elizabeth feel any less annoyed, but she understood now what Sheppard was doing. Unfortunately, she was the one left to deal with the jilted groom, charming guy that he was. Still, she now realized there was too much to lose to let her anger affect her judgment.

"In that case," she said, looking at the people around her, "we can't let anyone outside this room know that Teyla went of her own free will. We're going to have to let John take the blame for this."

Everyone in Atlantis was dedicated to the colonel, and to ask his closest friends to lay the blame on him hurt her. But there was too much at stake. As far as they were concerned, John Sheppard was the newest rogue element of Atlantis.

TBC


	5. The Big Party

"Oh, sweet!" Teyla heard coming from the open back of the jumper.

"What is it?" she asked, walking up the ramp to see what had made Sheppard so happy.

The colonel grinned, tapping a box on the floor with his foot. "I didn't realize we'd ended up with a box of champagne in here. Sweet."

Teyla smiled. She enjoyed the fizzy drinks the expedition shipped in from Earth, and champagne was at the top of the list.

"However, it probably would not be wise to drink it while we are here since we have no one else to keep watch," she said reluctantly.

"I know you like it, so I'll keep watch while you get hammered," he said, dodging as she aimed a good-natured punch at his shoulder.

John sorted through a few more boxes, mumbling to himself. Finally, he admitted defeat. "Uh, Teyla. There's only one tent."

She turned to him looking puzzled. "Is that a problem?" she asked, crinkling her brow.

She shared tents with her teammates on overnight missions all the time. She had to admit to herself that she enjoyed the nights she shared a tent with John. And though she refused to admit it to anyone, including herself, it wasn't just because he tended to snore the least out of all of her teammates.

He stammered for a moment, trying to find the right thing to say. Teyla couldn't help but giggle at his confusion.

"Are you giggling?" he asked incredulously. Teyla never giggled.

By now, Teyla couldn't stop laughing and could only nod. Once John got over his shock, he joined her. Soon, both were doubled over and wiping tears from their eyes.

John knew they were both giddy. Although they wouldn't admit it, each knew the other hadn't been sleeping well and had been stressed by the situation. After a few minutes, John sat down on a box and sighed. Teyla had managed to squeeze onto the bench between crates and was tucking her hair behind her ears while she still chuckled.

"Either we needed to vent or someone packed the really good drugs," John said. Teyla giggled again. It had been a long time since he had seen her laugh, and he wasn't sure he'd ever actually seen her giggle like a schoolgirl before. Although she still looked quite young, the giggling fit took years off of her soul. He was beginning to wonder what had been done with the real Teyla when she spoke up.

"Thank you, John," she said. "I really did need that."

"No problem, whatever it was I did," he said nonchalantly while trying not to picture other ways they could have vented. Instead, he said, "Seriously, though. Giggling?"

That set Teyla off on another fit of laughter and Sheppard couldn't help but smile again. For once, things seemed to be right in the galaxy.

Together, they set up camp for the night, opting to sleep outside without a tent given the beautiful weather. It was so peaceful without McKay whining about the insects and allergies, and Sheppard said so.

After a dinner of perishables and setting up a perimeter alarm, they talked more than they had in a very long time, fueled by an open bottle of champagne that they passed back and forth. John had a couple of glasses worth, but he left most of the bubbly to Teyla so he could stay alert to their surroundings. He always liked sharing Earth things with her, watching the surprise and pleasure on her face as she experienced a new flavor or was amazed by a new ideas found in everyday life on Earth. He admired her ability to still find wonder in the universe after suffering so much at its hands.

Slowly their conversation wandered away from Atlantis to a tipsy Teyla recounting exploits from her youth. She never talked much about her past, so John sat quietly and let her carry on. After a while, though, he thought it best to replace the bottle of champagne with a bottle of water and a couple of ibuprofen. Teyla harangued him for a minute before accepting his offering. The woman could hold her liquor, but he didn't want her to have a hangover in the morning. Just one more thing he'd feel guilty about.

"John," she said a bit later, her dignified manner becoming almost child-like as she snuggled down into her sleeping bag. "Thank you for helping me run away today. You're always so good to me. I hope you don't get into trouble."

He smiled down at her fondly from where he sat against a log. The champagne had relaxed her into using contractions in her speech. "No problem, Teyla. Anytime." Anything for you.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Soon her breathing evened out and John was left staring into the fire. He couldn't sleep if he tried right now. Even though M2R-462 had been surveyed a couple of times, John still didn't feel comfortable enough on the alien world to fall asleep without someone keeping watch.

His mind was still in overdrive, questioning every element of his plan and even his sanity. Was he just making things worse? Would anything ever be the same again? Here he was, one of only two humans on the planet, having just kidnapped his best friend, who just happened to grow up in another galaxy, away from her wedding. He never would have watched such a stupid story on TV. Really, was his life going downhill so quickly that it couldn't even make a plausible sci-fi plot? How could she possibly be okay with this?

The hours passed. Waves still crashed on the beach and a slight breeze blew through the camp. A single moon, larger than Earth's, rose in the sky and shone down on them now. He circled the camp several times to check the perimeter despite the presence of the alarms he had set, blaming several incidents of stumbling on the darkness. Afterward he sat by the fire, keeping himself awake with depressing thoughts.

He had been lost in his thoughts for some time when he felt eyes on him. Turning to Teyla, he saw her warm brown eyes watching him closely. Damn, nothing ever got by that woman, even when she slept.

"John? You sleep now and I will keep watch for a while," she said, sitting up.

"No, no," he said quickly, trying to look a bit more alive. "Go back to sleep. I'm good."

"John, really. I will keep watch now. Even you need to sleep," she said, putting her hand on his arm.

"But you've been drinking on the job," he said cheekily.

She gave him the eyebrow lift she usually reserved for Ronon, Rodney, and unruly Athosian children. "I am fine now. As Rodney would point out, you have sacrificed enough for one day," she said.

Okay, usually she didn't harass him about what Rodney called his 'martyr complex'. He stood up and then immediately dropped to his knees as the world spun around him. He gasped, reaching for anything to balance him. Warm hands grabbed his shoulders, steadying him until the camp came back into focus. "Sorry," he whispered, suddenly too drained for anything more.

"John, you must sleep," Teyla said. He remained kneeling, feeling oddly distant, as she rose to unroll his sleeping bag next to hers. She helped him over to lie down. Soon his boots were off, and then he felt his eyelids droop, lulled by Teyla's humming as she stoked the fire. His final thought was that if he awoke without being beaten, restrained, or abandoned, Teyla would have proven to him beyond any doubt that she really was okay with being a runaway bride.

TBC


	6. The Big Day

The same thought was in his mind as he awoke the next morning. His heart was in his mouth as he looked around at the empty camp. The sun had been up for a couple of hours, judging by its position. How had he slept through that? All he could hear was the waves crashing and the leaves swishing softly in the trees.

So that was it – she was gone.

He couldn't believe it. "Teyla?" he called out, her name sounding far more like a croak than he intended.

Silence for a moment, and then he saw a movement in the trees. He was just reaching for his P-90 when a branch moved to the side and Teyla stepped through into the clearing.

"Oh, good morning, John," she said brightly.

His morning instantly improved a hundred-fold. "'Morning," he said, trying to somehow flatten his hair. "I didn't hear you leave."

"I am sorry. You were tired and I did not wish to wake you," she said. "I was just disarming the perimeter and going to the powder room." She said the last part with a straight face, and John knew Laura Cadman had been corrupting Teyla again.

After eating bread and fruit for breakfast, they talked about what they would do during the day. As soon as surfing was mentioned, John started bouncing on his toes and looking at her hopefully. He reminded her of the Athosian children begging to be let loose to play. She loved this side of John, but unfortunately it appeared rarely these days, much less than when the Atlantis expedition first arrived. He seemed to feel better this morning, so she agreed.

She herself was not as excited by surfing, but she figured it would be fun to learn since John seemed to enjoy it so much. "Perhaps today would be a good day for surfing," she said indulgently. No sooner had the words left her mouth than John was headed into the jumper. A moment later he emerged toting his colorful board that had been smuggled back to Atlantis in a crate of supplies on one of the Daedalus's first return trips.

After propping the board against a tree and heading back inside, Sheppard returned with what appeared to be pieces of black rubber.

"Did you bring a swim suit?" he asked her. When she nodded no, he bit his lip for a minute, then handed her one of the black garments. "Here, just strip down to whatever you don't mind getting wet. The water's cold enough that we have to wear wetsuits anyway. You, ah, change in the jumper, and I'll meet you down at the beach."

Teyla weighed the wetsuit in her hand and eyed John suspiciously, but he was already heading down toward the beach. Most of the men from Earth were like this; they crudely admired a woman from afar, but turned into perfect gentlemen when within range. Athosians were far less prudish than the people of Earth, but Teyla still headed into the jumper.

She emerged to find John wearing a similar wetsuit and already paddling around in the waves on his surfboard. He waved to her, then watched behind him as a couple of waves passed before he suddenly began pulling through the water and then standing up on his board. She watched, amazed, as he was able to twist his board around and fly across the wave. John Sheppard could be an athletic man, but he rarely displayed such grace when they sparred. The ease with which he flew across the water took her breath away … until his board flipped and he disappeared beneath the waves.

"John!" Teyla called, running the rest of the way down to the water. His board was bouncing around in the surf, but she couldn't find her friend. She had just started wading out into the surf when he popped up, shaking the water out of his face and grinning like a child with a new toy. He gave a gleeful shout and Teyla stopped to watch him, happy to see such unfettered joy in her normally guarded friend but not wanting to encourage him too much.

"That appears to be quite difficult. Are you not supposed to stay on the board?" she asked as he waded toward her.

"Oh, come on, give me a break!" he said enthusiastically. "I haven't surfed for a while. That was just the trial run." Teyla looked at him doubtfully. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her into the surf. "I'll show you how it's done."

They headed to one end of the beach, where the waves were smaller. John taught her how to paddle and gauge the waves before standing up. After that she let him surf for a while before trying it herself. True to his word, he stayed upright on his next couple of runs. The look on his face made her smile: It was not often that he showed such joy. He was a reserved man by nature, so she took the moment to enjoy the look on his face.

Finally he turned the board over to her, hurriedly giving last-minute instructions. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll keep an eye on you."

Teyla was not sure whether that would be enough, but surfing meant a lot to John, so she took a deep breath, tried to calm her nerves, and paddled out into the surf toward the end of the beach.

She could see John standing in shallow water, hands on his hips, following her progress. She smiled at him but was not sure whether he could make it out at this distance. Sitting on the board as instructed, she surveyed the waves, ignoring a large one that came in in favor of a smaller one.

As the wave approached, she turned and began paddling like John had shown her. She felt herself begin to rise and tried to stand up on the board. Despite her grace in the gym, she had trouble maintaining her balance on the board. She managed to stay standing for a couple of seconds before the force of the water pushed her backward off the board.

Teyla Emmagen was a decent swimmer and no stranger to lakes. However, despite living in a city on the ocean, she rarely experienced its power first-hand. Hearing the sound of waves from the city's balconies or taking a jumper underwater was nothing like being tossed around by the raw power of an ocean wave. She began to panic as she could no longer tell which way was up or rise to the surface for a breath of air. She fought the urge to inhale and was afraid she was about to give in when the wave suddenly pulled back and she was freed.

She rose to the surface, gulping in air and coughing as some saltwater went down her throat. It took her a moment to realize John was shouting her name, but she couldn't yet bring herself under control to answer him.

"I am fine," she finally managed to choke out as he reached her. John brushed some strands of wet hair out of her face, feeling terrible about the horrible spill she took on her first run. She probably wouldn't appreciate the whole 'get-back-on-the-horse' spiel from him anyway.

"I am going back to the beach," she said, starting to walk toward shore.

John grabbed her arm. "Come on, let's go together this time. It's a bit awkward, but you just need a good wave to appreciate surfing," he said.

Teyla looked at him incredulously through the wet bangs that hung down her face. Teyla might not have a boisterous sense of humor like many on the Atlantis base, but she certainly said a lot with the lift of an eyebrow. John bounced on the balls of his feet, like a child trying to convince a parent to allow one more sweet. "Come on, it'll be fine," he said. "You trust me, right?"

She couldn't deny that, so she took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly. But if she wiped out again, she was going to kick his ass…

She climbed atop the surfboard once again and let John pull her out into deeper water. Once he could no longer touch the bottom, he swam forward dragging the board until finally climbing up behind her.

"Okay, stay just slightly forward of where I told you to sit before," he said. "We'll have to make sure we stand at the same time."

They sat bobbing on the waves for a few moments before John told her to start paddling. Teyla could feel him leaning over her as they both worked to get the surfboard properly aligned. A moment later they both stood in unison, a bit wobbly until John put his left arm around her waist, his right flung out behind him for balance. They both crouched slightly forward, but Teyla found she could stand with her arms stretched outward more easily this time despite the added weight. She was thankful that all of her training had given her such good balance. They settled into their course, shooting across a large wave.

Time seemed to stop. Their view was nothing but a wall of water, and Teyla was sure she could reach out and run her hand along the glassy blue surface in front of her. She could hear nothing but the roar of the wave and John's gleeful shout in her ear. The wind whipped by, drenching her in spray. For a moment, the only things in the universe were the wave and the two of them on a fiberglass board. She laughed out loud.

John was still shouting like a teenage boy on a rollercoaster when they came shooting out the end of the wave and drifted into calmer water. In a fit of celebration, he let the board tip backward. He still had one arm around Teyla's waist, and together they crashed into the water.

They surfaced and cleared the water from their eyes, grinning, as Rodney would say, like idiots. The water was shallow enough for both of them to stand, and John looked down at her asking, "So, what do you think of surfing now?"

Teyla was speechless for a moment as she thought back on her experience. "For a moment, there was nothing but us and the water. I can see why you love it." Then, to the surprise of them both, she hugged him in an unusual display of affection. "Thank you for sharing that with me, John."

"Anytime," he said, losing what little eloquence he usually possessed after Teyla's hug. "Wanna go out again?"

She smiled and shook her head. "I prefer to keep that as my memory of surfing. I think I will go back and get dressed now."

"Okay, I'm heading back out…" John said, "… alone, since someone's chicken."

He laughed and dragged his board away as Teyla splashed him in retaliation.

After peeling off her wetsuit and washing the saltwater off in a nearby stream, Teyla dressed and spent much of the afternoon reading on the beach and occasionally glancing up to make sure John had not gotten into trouble. She had not spent such a leisurely day since … well, she could not remember the last time she had truly had what the expedition members called 'a vacation'. She was also glad for the chance to read. John, Elizabeth, and Rodney had decided it was important for her to understand their script while she lived on Atlantis. Under their tutelage she had quickly learned to read English letters, but rarely had time to practice the language outside of work.

Although Teyla tried to enjoy the day, dread sat like a stone in her stomach. From time to time she found her thoughts wandering back to the previous day's events. Doubts crept in. Eventually she would have to return to her people and account for her actions and the shame they had brought upon all. She sincerely hoped John would not be in trouble for all he had done for her, but previous experience had taught her that the commanders and politicians back on Earth would not necessarily see his actions in the same light she did.

Eventually tired of sitting, she walked around the harbor in which they had been surfing. As she neared open water, a cool breeze blew through her hair and caressed her skin. Looking out to sea, she could see dark clouds piling up along the horizon. There would be storms tonight.

As she walked back to the beach to collect her wayward colonel, Teyla realized she was supposed to be marrying Kannath at that moment. She felt horrible about leaving her friends to clean up her mess, but the immense relief that crept through her body as she realized that the wedding was off made her realize her decision had been the right one. A little while later, when John emerged from the jumper after finally stowing his surfboard and dressing again, he was surprised to receive a very heartfelt, almost crushing hug from Teyla. When she explained to him what prompted her sudden rush of emotion, he couldn't help but hug her again before they touched foreheads.

They decided to sleep in the jumper that night, as the tent might prove less comfortable in a storm. Finding room was a chore as the ship had been packed full of wedding supplies. John offered Teyla a bench while he kept watch in the cockpit, but Teyla would not hear of it. They covered a few crates in tarps and stored them outside, clearing two benches for sleeping and a (somewhat) clear path to the cockpit in case they needed to take off in an emergency.

While Teyla got ready for bed, John sat in his usual seat in the cockpit and put his feet up on the console to watch the weather. He could almost hear Rodney's litany of complaints if he could see him now.

John had always loved thunderstorms as a child, spending hours staring out the window during the summer. Despite Kolya's invasion during the great storm on Atlantis, he hadn't lost that wonder. In some ways, watching a storm was like surfing – for a short time, there was nothing in the world but the wind, the rain, the thunder and the lone human watching it. This planet didn't disappoint: Not long after closing up the jumper for the night, dark clouds rolled in and lightning streaked to the ground on the horizon. Although the storm was still too far away to hear the thunder clearly, a deep rumbling tickled the edge of his hearing.

"John, we cleared space on the benches. Please tell me you are not keeping watch again tonight," Teyla said, coming into the cockpit and placing a hand on the back of his chair.

"Someone's got to look out for the champagne. Nothing to protect it from the elements but a puny tarp," he said, grinning up at her.

He was rewarded with a smack in the shoulder and a valiant effort on Teyla's part to keep from laughing.

"I'm gonna sit here for a while," he said, answering her earlier query.

"We do have a perimeter set, and the jumper is locked with sensors on. You can rest tonight. Nothing will surprise us," she said.

He smiled at her practicality. He was exhausted, but he wanted – no, he needed – to feel the power of the storm. So many things were weighing on his mind at that moment, and he needed the storm's isolation to calm him down. "I'm just going to watch the lightning show for a while."

"Very well," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Good night, John."

"'Night, Teyla," he said over his shoulder, missing the warmth of her hand as soon as it was gone.

Teyla sighed quietly as she slipped into her sleeping bag on one of the padded benches. She realized now that John had been 'running on fumes', as she had heard Carson say, for quite some time. After last night's dizzy spell, he had only slept a few hours and had spent today doing strenuous physical activity, so he must be tired. Hopefully, she would not awaken in the morning to find John still asleep in his chair. He deserved better. As her eyes drifted closed, she uttered a quiet prayer to the Ancestors to help her friend find peace.

TBC


	7. The Big Nightmare

He hadn't meant to doze off, but John fell asleep briefly in the pilot's seat before a loud clap of thunder jolted him awake. Groggy, he worked his way around the piles of supplies to his bunk, trying not to wake Teyla by stumbling over something. As he unlaced his boots, he listened to her slow breathing in the moments when the wind quieted. Stripping down to his usual off-world t-shirt and boxers, the colonel finally slid into his sleeping bag with bone-weary exhaustion.

The first face to come to him that night was Ford's. "How's it going, Sir?" the lieutenant asked.

"Fine, Ford," John answered. "But you're dead."

"If you say so," Ford said, his enthusiastic grin never leaving his face. "But you don't really know, do you? That's because you stopped looking for me."

John opened his mouth to reply, but a hand on his shoulder turned him away from Ford. "It's okay, Lieutenant," Col. Sumner said, looking past John but keeping a hand on his shoulder. "He leaves us all for dead, if he doesn't kill us outright."

Suddenly the atmosphere changed, and panic began to constrict John's breathing. Around him, shapes emerged from the shadows to form into people, the men, women, and children he had condemned to death by waking the Wraith, and those whom he hadn't been able to save. Now, they all looked at him with anger and disdain in their eyes.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the anguish he felt. He tried to say he was sorry, but when he parted his dry lips, nothing came out. He gasped. He couldn't tell them that he would eagerly give up his life so even one of them could live again. The words wouldn't come.

"He has not paid for his sins," someone hissed behind him. John whirled around to find more shadows, more people emerging, and could feel the hatred radiating from them. They began reaching for him, grabbing, tearing at him. The pain grew worse, and he struggled to breathe. The mob was working itself into a frenzy. Suddenly all of the fear and the pain and the anguish became unbearable, and he couldn't stop the scream that escaped.

Teyla had managed to sleep through the remainder of the thunderstorm, but she was awakened by movement on the other side of the jumper. She had always feared that John had nightmares. The man always looked tired these days, a weariness that no amount of enforced downtime could remedy. Demons plagued his soul, and Teyla had a pretty good idea of what those demons might be. But John Sheppard was a private man, managing to keep his night terrors hidden from his team. Although he occasionally awakened with a start on overnight missions or the times when she stayed in his room, Teyla suspected they were often much worse.

From where she lay, she could just see John's head, and now she could hear his gasping breaths. He was going to start hyperventilating soon. She reached down to unzip her sleeping bag when a heart-rending scream escaped his lips.

Zipper forgotten, Teyla scrambled up, nearly tripping on the sleeping bag as she picked her way to the other side of the jumper. He had shot upright with the scream, but judging from the panicked look on his face and his harsh breathing, he was still too groggy to realize where he was.

"NO!" he gasped, shoving her away bodily into the crates when she placed a hand on his shoulder. Teyla did not take the push as a personal affront, instead scrambling back up and grasping his face in both of her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"John, it is okay. We are safe," she said, looking into his eyes, which darted around the jumper until finally settling on her. She could see realization setting in, but he had yet to bring his breathing under control.

"You are fine. Just take deep breaths," Teyla said soothingly. Now that John was conscious of his surroundings, she gently leaned him forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees. She moved to sit behind him, speaking calmly to him and rubbing his back absently. Beneath her hand, she could feel the tremors in his body and the sweat that had soaked his t-shirt.

Within a few minutes John had gotten himself under control, but kept his head down. This was the part of the night in which he stared at the ceiling absently for hours, paced his room, or went for an extra run. Here, he was contained within the jumper and he had a witness. He wasn't sure what to do.

He took the bottle of water that Teyla silently offered him and took a swig, still not ready to face her. But bless the woman, she understood he would speak if and when he chose, and so did not push him to talk.

They sat that way for a long time, Teyla a solid presence behind him, one hand on his arm and the other continuing to rub his back. He knew he should feel guilty, or at the very least embarrassed, but he did not.

"Perhaps you would like to change your t-shirt," she said, finally breaking the silence. John nodded but made no move to get up, so Teyla rose and came back a moment later with one from his bag. How she managed to find a t-shirt in his bag so quickly in the dark was another mystery he would never understand about this woman.

He gratefully accepted the shirt and shucked his old one, tossing it in the general direction of his bag. He turned himself to lean his head back against the side of the jumper and closed his eyes, Teyla sitting beside him again. A warm hand covered his, and he squeezed it.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the pounding of the rain that John noticed only now. Finally, he realized Teyla was nodding off beside him, and he woke her to send her back to her bunk.

At the moment, Teyla wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but John's hand still shook slightly in hers and his voice was exhausted. "Will you go to sleep, as well?" she asked him.

"I'll try," he said. But Teyla could tell he had already resigned himself to being awake the rest of the night. She did not know how much more exhaustion her friend could take before he collapsed, and knew something needed to be done.

"Do not lie down yet," she ordered before returning to her bunk to fetch her sleeping bag. Returning to where John sat, she slid into her bag and made herself comfortable propped up in the corner where the side of the jumper met the front bulkhead.

"There," she said. "Now lie down."

"Yes, ma'am," John said. He had to admit that was an order he didn't get often outside the infirmary. "But what are you doing? That can't be comfortable."

He could tell by her voice she was smiling her indulgent smile. "As has been demonstrated on many occasions, I am far more flexible than you. Now sleep. I am here."

John wanted to argue that he did not need a baby-sitter and that there was nothing to worry about, but deep down he knew he needed to rest, and he felt more at peace with Teyla beside him.

So with his head against her leg and her fingers stroking his hair, John lay listening to the raindrops pattering on the roof of the jumper for a while before realizing his eyes were drifting closed. Suddenly, he said, "I see their faces. All of them. They're coming at me. They blame me."

Teyla, who seemed to understand what he was trying to say, never let up in her ministrations. "The fate of the galaxy and all of its people is not your burden to bear alone, John Sheppard," she said softly. "Now be at peace. You have earned it."

With that, he fell asleep and did not wake again until morning.

TBC


	8. The Big Wait

The next morning was less awkward than John had feared it would be. He once again thanked his lucky stars for having someone as understanding as Teyla in his life. If he could choose anyone to abduct from their wedding, it was her.

"You know, a lot of money has changed hands on Atlantis over whether or not we're sleeping together," he said with a chuckle as Teyla stretched her legs and John heated water over the campfire. She swore she had been comfortable last night, but he suspected her muscles were aching from the odd position today. He, on the other hand, felt better than he had in weeks. Amazing what a good night's sleep could do.

She smiled indulgently. "I wonder if this is what anyone meant by sleeping together," she said.

He laughed. "I'm sure Ronon and Rodney have been bribed by now to tell all."

After breakfast they flew to the gate for their check-in. Elizabeth sounded a bit calmer today. Maybe there was hope that he could return to Atlantis at some point in his lifetime. But then John was on edge again - she sounded almost too happy.

After the initial pleasantries, Elizabeth cut straight to the chase. "Ronon and Rodney want to visit. Where can they meet you?"

"Planet Paradise is fine by me. It should be safe enough," John answered.

"Your statement probably just jinxed it," Elizabeth said, a bit of amusement evident in her voice. "It'll take them some time to get their things together. Say you meet in six hours?"

"Sounds like a plan. Tell them it's their turn to bring the beer," John said flippantly. He could hear something that sounded like a snort of derision in the background, but ignored it. "Sheppard out."

As soon as the wormhole disengaged, John began dialing the jumper's DHD. "What are you doing?" Teyla asked. "We still have some time before we are due to meet them."

John risked a quick look at her. "Do you think Elizabeth will send the two of them without back-up? If I were her, I would send a couple teams ahead to wait for me or catch the address of the planet where we're staying. I just want to beat them to the punch."

Teyla nodded. Neither of them was sure how far Elizabeth was willing to go to punish this indiscretion. For all they knew, marines were waiting on the other side to take them down and 'rescue' her from the 'crazy' colonel.

The wormhole engaged, meaning that they had beaten Atlantis. They flew through. No other jumpers or lifesigns appeared on the HUD. Sheppard eased the jumper down in a clearing to the side of the Stargate, giving them a good view through the trees.

To pass the time, they played cards on top of the jumper's DHD and John tried to explain to Teyla the social significance of Wayne's World. Eventually, he began looking tired and settled in to take a nap with his feet on the chair behind the pilot's chair, which he had spun around. Teyla settled in with her book again, content to relax while they waited.

They had been waiting nearly three hours when the Stargate symbols began to light up. "John," she said, reaching over to shake his arm without taking her eyes off the Gate. He quickly sat up and spun his chair around to watch. To the average person, nothing appeared to come through, but both could see the tell-tale signs of something passing through the event horizon and John could add the 'slurp' sound effect in his mind. Another ripple appeared before the Gate shut down. Atlantis had sent two cloaked jumpers.

"Sure hope they don't plan on landing in this clearing," he said tensely, looking upward out of the jumper's view screen for signs of a jumper snapping branches or knocking down leaves. After a minute, still nothing had landed on them and both occupants let out breaths they didn't realize they had been holding.

"Right, now just sit back, relax, and enjoy the wait," John said, still appearing on-guard. "Now we know where we stand. Too bad we can't enjoy the downtime."

Teyla agreed and turned back to her book, but now John kept his vigil at the window, legs bouncing in an unconscious nervous gesture. Occasionally, different screens would pop up on the HUD as the colonel navigated through the jumper's computer. The bouncing legs and flipping screens were enough to distract Teyla so she found herself staring at the same page for a long time.

She strolled around the jumper as best she could for a few minutes to stretch her legs, then leaned against the bulkhead door to look out the window. John was still maintaining his vigil. He really did need to settle down; they still had more than an hour to wait.

"John," she said. "What will we do when Rodney and Ronon arrive?"

"Well, we can't pick them up while the jumpers are here because that would give away our position."

"But can they not track our transmitters?" she asked him.

"No," he said. "The jumper is jamming that signal for now."

Teyla shook her head. There was nothing he did not think of, and there seemed to be nothing this technology could not do. They stayed in companionable silence for a while, but Teyla had things she needed to say, just in case this day did not go as planned and John was forced to go back to Atlantis to pay for his actions.

"John, whatever happens, I want you to know that I appreciate all you have done for me. Any punishment by your people would be unjust," she said when he had turned around.

To her surprise, he stood up in front of her and took her by the elbows. "Teyla," he said. "Even if I get sent back to Earth for this, I won't regret it. If I hadn't gotten you out of there and you were forced to live an unhappy life, I could never forgive myself."

This was quite a personal declaration from the colonel, which moved Teyla greatly. She tilted her head down and his forehead soon met hers. They stood that way for a long time before parting.

Just as they let go, the Gate engaged again. Radio chatter immediately flooded through their receivers. Moving to the front window, John saw Major Lorne come through with his team and another, as well as Ronon and Rodney.

"No movement, sir," one of the jumper pilots reported to the major. John was sure he saw Lorne smirk slightly before hitting his radio to thank the man. The Lanteans on foot took in their surroundings, looking for any sign of their quarry.

Ronon slowly turned in a circle, looking into the forest. As he turned to face the jumper, John clicked his radio once. He saw Ronon pause and nod slightly before continuing his vigil. The Satedan understood what was going on.

The group on foot milled around for more than half an hour, keeping one eye on the gate and the other on their surroundings. John could see Rodney and Ronon becoming impatient. Finally, through a radio channel someone obviously had turned on 'accidentally', Sheppard and Teyla could hear Rodney complaining.

"Yeah, like Sheppard would be stupid enough to show up for what is obviously a trap. Did you morons honestly think he was just going to walk through the gate and apologize for being inconsiderate? Honestly? Look, if you wouldn't mind, go home because we'd like to meet up with the rest of our team sometime this year."

"Sir, we can't just leave you here. The jumpers will have to stay to keep watch," one of the braver soldiers told Rodney.

Sheppard and Teyla smiled at the familiar snort they heard over the radio. "Please, if Sheppard's here somewhere, he obviously knows about the jumpers or he would have shown himself already," Rodney said, making a point of attacking the intelligence of all Atlantis' military personnel in one go. "I've got Conan here to protect me, which is far better than you lot. Are your combined ages even enough to get a driver's license?"

John rolled his eyes, silently begging Rodney not to take this too far. But Lorne must have been in on the plan, because he ordered the gate dialed and the jumpers returned home. He gave Ronon and Rodney only ten minutes before he would dial back to check on them.

True to Lorne's word, two jumpers materialized and gated back home, followed by the foot soldiers. Sheppard was pretty sure he saw Lorne say something like, 'Have fun, guys,' before stepping through the gate.

Rodney was standing with his back to the jumper when the gate shut off and he immediately clicked on the radio. "Sheppard, you can come out to play now. Sheppard, are you here? Hello? Are you even listening?"

Behind Rodney, Ronon was grinning as the scientist remained oblivious to the jumper approaching. Finally, he tapped Rodney's shoulder and pointed. "Yes, yes, of course," McKay answered as though he were too busy to take note of such things.

After waving to his teammates through the viewscreen, John closed the bulkhead door and rotated the jumper so hatch lay just in front of his friends. "Come on in, guys," he said through the radio. "I hope you brought snacks."

"Are you actually going to show yourself, or are you going to kidnap us, too?" Rodney asked. "Oh, god. You haven't really gone crazy, have you?"

"Relax, McKay. It's just a security precaution. We're going through the gate now," Sheppard replied.

TBC


	9. The Big Thump

The rumor mill on Atlantis had kicked into gear the moment Teyla and John made their first break for the gate, and it had been gaining steam ever since. Although the senior staff had decided to say as little as possible to avoid besmirching John's reputation any more than necessary, speculation about the colonel's actions was rampant. By the time Ronon and Rodney had left to join their teammates, John and Teyla had eloped to half a dozen different planets, were visiting their secret love children, were going to be married by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas or had lost their minds due to an unfortunate exposure to an alien substance just before leaving Atlantis. Elizabeth smirked, wondering if there had been a betting pool on whether or not Sheppard would kidnap the bride.

She had to admit she was somewhat surprised that most of the Atlantis personnel had taken the turn of events in stride. After seeing his behavior back on his home planet, soldiers and scientists alike generally agreed that Teyla was better off not marrying Kannath.

Dr. Heightmeyer had expressed some mild concerns with the situation, but Elizabeth had quietly asked Carson, Major Lorne and Ronon whether John had really lost the plot. While they all agreed the pilot was probably tired, stressed and as emotional as he ever got, all three men convinced Dr. Weir that the colonel was (almost) completely sane when he carried out his plan, and that Teyla was in no danger. At the moment, Elizabeth wasn't sure if that should count for or against him.

Over breakfast, the major and Radek Zelenka related with disgust the apparent wistfulness of many of the female members that they, too, couldn't be rescued by Colonel Sheppard in a manner straight out of a romance novel. Both men had rolled their eyes, and Elizabeth had to work hard not to laugh.

When she pried into the soldiers' opinions of their commanding officer's actions, the result was almost universally in favor of Colonel Sheppard. Seriously, how could a man have so many admirers for doing something so stupid? The civilian population was accustomed to the premier team's adventures, whether they were meant to save the city or were just a result of their notorious bad luck, so there wasn't much outrage there, either.

Elizabeth pursed her lips. She hadn't yet forgiven John for what he had done, and he needed to be held accountable or the chain of command would no longer function. But how could she do that, when, in the eyes of so many, he had done the right thing?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A moment after entering the gate on Planet Paradise, the jumper emerged onto M2R-462 and Sheppard opened the bulkhead door to let his friends into the cockpit, even if there was still nowhere to sit.

"Long time no see," Sheppard said, keeping his eyes forward but testing the waters with his joke.

There was a momentary pause before Rodney erupted. "'Long time no see?' Are you mental? Do you have any idea how much havoc you've caused on Atlantis with your little stunt?"

Teyla pursed her lips slightly. Sheppard seemed somewhat taken aback, but then quipped, "Feel better now, Rodney?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," the scientist said.

With that, the entire team burst into laughter, and Sheppard knew things would be all right. They quickly dialed Atlantis and Ronon succinctly let them know that he and Rodney were safe before Sheppard turned the jumper toward the coast.

They landed at the campsite, and Sheppard clapped Rodney on the shoulder as they walked down the ramp. "You'll love this place," he said.

"Really?" Rodney asked.

"No, you'll probably whine the whole time, but it's a good neighborhood with great surfing," he said.

Ronon let Rodney's reaction become lost in the breeze as he stopped Teyla with a hand on her arm. She looked up at him, silently questioning.

"You okay?" he asked.

Teyla sighed. "I cannot believe that I have abandoned an agreement my people made. They probably no longer wish for me to lead them. For now, everything is fine, like a story that happened to someone else. But soon I must face reality, and it will not be pleasant."

"You might be surprised," Ronon answered. "I think Halling's starting to realize that this match would have been a mistake. Kannath has been nothing but a pain since the moment he met you, and he's pissing everyone off. Weir's not happy but she'll get over it."

"Perhaps many people see me as the victim in this situation," Teyla said almost regretfully. "However, what of John? He was only trying to help a friend, and he will likely suffer for it."

"We're not going to let that happen," Ronon said evenly.

"It is fine for you to wield your blaster and for Rodney to manipulate the city's systems in our favor, but the two of you cannot protect either of us for long once we get back to the city," she said.

"You'd be surprised," he answered. "Sheppard's got more friends on Atlantis than he realizes. I don't think Weir would actually turn him over to the SGC or IOA, and I don't know of any soldier who would actually have the guts to arrest him."

Teyla raised an eyebrow but decided not to air her doubts any longer.

Ronon broke in to her thoughts. "Sheppard been treating you all right?"

Teyla gave him a look. "Ronon, you have nothing to worry about. He has been the perfect gentleman at all times. Besides, as all of you often point out, I can 'kick his ass' if I need to."

Ronon grinned. "I figured. So … nothing else happened?"

Teyla gave him a withering stare, but he could see a smile playing at her lips as she turned to walk off the jumper. He grinned behind her. Both of his friends knew Ronon thought they should hook up, but neither seemed to truly believe the other returned the sentiment. Throughout this, he had figured Sheppard would never do anything to Teyla against her will, and she would never let him. When she had cringed at Rodney's earlier accusation rather than agreeing with him, Ronon knew she was all right.

Still, no harm in checking. Despite the fact that she could probably take care of herself better than anyone in the city, she seemed to bring out a brotherly protective streak in all of them. And now they were all together again, each watching the others' backs.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

They prepared an early dinner, using some fresh food that Ronon and Rodney had smuggled in from Atlantis. The two men were well-known to the cafeteria crew and so had free range in the kitchen.

After they had eaten, they popped open a bottle of champagne. Before they had taken their first sips, Ronon surprised everyone by raising his tin cup. "Here's to people who look out for their friends," he said without singling out John.

"To crazy flyboys who kidnap brides," Rodney said, echoing Ronon's sentiment more pointedly.

"To friends who don't kick their friends' asses," John said, not really making eye contact with anyone.

"To friends who choose to let their hearts lead them," Teyla added, looking at them all in turn, but saving her most meaningful glance for John.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Elizabeth Weir gave up reading the latest SGA-5 mission report and rubbed her eyes. An hour ago she had received a transmission from Kannath wanting an update on their search for Teyla, stating that tomorrow he would be blessing them with his presence.

Somehow Elizabeth didn't see it the same way.

Her anger at John had abated somewhat, but she still planned on having words with him when he returned after leaving her to deal with this situation. Secretly she had to admit she felt a bit better knowing his entire team was together again. She had been worried about John for weeks now, and she realized she probably should have been more worried about Teyla's welfare, as well.

A knock roused her from her thoughts. Major Lorne stood in the doorway, waiting for permission to enter.

"Late night?" he drawled.

"You could say that," she sighed, rubbing her eyes again. This interruption was probably a hint that it was time for bed. "I'm not looking forward to having to deal with Kannath tomorrow. I still can't believe the stunt John pulled."

Lorne cleared his throat. "With all due respect, ma'am, don't you think you're being a bit hard on him?"

Elizabeth raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Hard on him? We're the ones who have to deal with Kannath while John's off surfing or doing who-knows-what."

Lorne shrugged. "Hey, I'm not pleased with having to deal with this Kannath guy. To be honest, I'd rather shoot him than have to talk with him. But think about it: The colonel's the only person who took serious action. Yeah, we're left to deal with an uncomfortable situation, but he's put it all on the line. For all he knows, he could be arrested for court-martial after this and sent to Leavenworth for the rest of his life."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The major was right, but it really didn't make her feel any better at the moment.

"If someone would have said something earlier, perhaps we could have negotiated a new agreement between Kannath and the Athosians, or done something that was actually productive," she said.

"But that didn't happen, and now we are doing our part," Lorne pointed out. "Knowing what we know now, could you ever forgive yourself for helping to make Teyla's life into the living hell it would be with this guy? I sure couldn't."

Elizabeth silently acknowledged the major's point. Moreover, she knew John Sheppard would never be the same man again if he had to watch the woman who was probably his dearest friend suffer so needlessly.

However, something, whether pride or stubbornness, would not allow her to admit such things out loud tonight. It was time for bed. Tomorrow was a big day.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The team members traded gossip and the latest Atlantis news over their champagne, then began rehashing old stories. Years ago, Rodney had made a game out of getting personal information out of John, something he found extremely challenging at the best of times. Sheppard had picked up on Rodney's intentions long ago, but never let on.

Tonight Rodney had hoped the bubbly might aid him, but to no avail. Sheppard's heart didn't seem to be in the banter. When Rodney asked Sheppard to name the love of his life, the colonel immediately answered: "Flying."

The answer wasn't the one Rodney had been looking for, but it made sense in Sheppard World. Ronon grinned, sure he knew the real answer, while Rodney needled John further and Teyla sat pondering what sort of secrets John kept locked inside, away from his closest friends and likely even himself.

Eventually the conversation turned to other things and the darkness grew deeper. Everyone laughed when a bird call rang out from a nearby tree and Rodney jumped, reaching for the sidearm he had already taken off. When it came time to divvy up the night watch, Sheppard offered to take first watch because he had drunk the least. Teyla argued he needed to rest as she had seen him nearly nod off a couple of times after dinner, but had to settle for him promising to wake her early for her watch if he could not stay awake. She did not expect that early wake-up to come.

They soon settled in for the night, rolling out their sleeping bags near the fire. Teyla expected her tumultuous thoughts and doubts would keep her awake for hours, but soon she knew nothing more.

A nearby thump woke Teyla and Ronon a while later. Both sat up, looking at each other to confirm they hadn't been hearing things. They scanned their surroundings, with Ronon suddenly spotting something on the other side of the fire.

"Sheppard!" he called, jumping out of his bedroll. At first Teyla thought he was calling for reinforcements, but soon realized that the thump actually was John. Both sprinted over, and Rodney joined them after being awakened by Ronon's shout.

There, near the log on which they had sat earlier in the evening, Sheppard lay on his stomach, head turned to one side and P-90 in an uncomfortable-looking position beneath him. Light from the fire danced across the prone body of their friend.

"Oh, god. What took him down?" Rodney asked, looking around panicked.

Ronon scanned the area as Teyla first tried to rouse John. When that didn't work, she recruited Rodney to help roll him over so she could assess the damage.

"Rodney, I don't think anything 'took him down'. He appears to be uninjured and I did not hear a weapon discharge. I believe he collapsed," she said.

Ronon looked back at his friends crouching at Sheppard's sides and agreed. "I don't think there's a threat here, McKay," he said.

"Well then, what happened?" Rodney asked. "Did he faint? Should we take him back to Atlantis?"

Teyla worked through the possibilities in her head. Even in the firelight John looked pale and drawn. His forehead did not feel warm, and his heart rate and breathing appeared to be normal. However, John's hand had been shaking while pouring champagne earlier in the evening, and she figured John likely had not slept well in such a long time that his body was probably exhausted. That they could handle here.

Ronon beat her to the punch: "Not if he'll be okay without it. If we take him to Atlantis now, the IOA may get their hands on him and we may never get him back."

Teyla looked up. "Rodney, what time is it?" she asked.

The scientist checked his watch and swore. "It's after 3 a.m. We should be on third watch by now. I'm guessing he didn't bother waking up any of us."

This is what Teyla had feared: John had finally collapsed. She shared her concerns and diagnosis with her teammates.

"His eating habits seem to have been fine while we have been here, but I fear he has not gotten enough sleep," she said.

"He's hardly eaten anything in the past few weeks," Ronon said.

"I know. All he did was play with his food. It was disgusting," Rodney said, then added when he noticed his teammates staring at him, "What?!"

Teyla bit her lip and returned her gaze to John's face. This was her fault. She had been so wrapped in her own misery (yet failing to address it) that she had not noticed the impact her decision had on her friends. John would go to the edge of the universe for his friends and ask nothing in return. This is just one more sacrifice he had made for her. She could feel tears welling in her eyes due to her own stress and fatigue these past few weeks, but she managed to fight them back.

A cool gust of wind blew through the camp and Ronon looked up to find the sky clouding. "It's going to rain soon. We should all move into the jumper," he said. Stooping by his friend, he said, "I'll take Sheppard."

Normally Rodney would tease Sheppard mercilessly for being carried by the Satedan, but for now he was too worried for his friend who would not answer.

Ronon must have seen something in Teyla's face because he told her to stay with Sheppard while he and Rodney finished putting out the fire and moving their belongings inside. Teyla pulled a blanket over her friend and smoothed back some errant strands of hair from his forehead. "Oh, John, I am so sorry," she whispered.

Once the others returned and shut the jumper for the night, they helped Teyla remove John's tac vest, sidearm, and boots.

John was propped against Teyla when he mumbled, "Whad're ya doin'?"

"You fainted, Sheppard," Rodney said victoriously, trying to goad his friend into awareness. Today, it didn't work and Sheppard's words continued to slur.

"In jum'per?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's gonna rain so we came inside. You okay?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard's eyes were already closing again. "Don' 'member comin' in." He stiffened, realizing something wasn't right, but his body did not have the strength to fully awaken. He laid his head back on whatever was behind him, unable to hold it up any longer.

Rodney began rattling off a retort, but Teyla ignored him and said, "It is all right, John. You may rest now. We are here."

The scientist rolled his eyes as he watched Sheppard's body relax again and realized Teyla's quiet words had far more effect than his own.

They lay the colonel back down on the bench and Teyla set about tucking the blanket around him and finding a bottle of water to set beside him.

Rodney and Ronon were arguing about who would get to sleep on the opposite bench. Rodney claimed his back would not stand for anything else, and Ronon tried to annoy him by arguing that McKay was the only available pilot and would be better situated for an emergency if he was already in the cockpit. Finally, Ronon appealed to Rodney's secret chivalrous side by suggesting Teyla sleep on the bench.

"No," she told them distractedly from where she sat on the floor next to John's head. "One of you may sleep there. I am not tired."

Rodney took that as a personal victory and hurriedly claimed the other bench. Because of the supplies still in the jumper, Ronon would have to stretch out on a couple of chairs in the cockpit. He didn't mind, but he wasn't giving the scientist the satisfaction of knowing that.

"You should sleep," Ronon told Teyla, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's my watch." She looked up at him and he could see the fatigue in her eyes, as well.

"Thank you," she said, "but I will stay up with John to make sure he is indeed all right."

The woman was punishing herself for bringing this upon her friend, Ronon realized. He would never be able to convince her otherwise, so instead he took a seat up front to keep an eye on all of his teammates.

TBC


	10. The Big Game

Teyla spent the next few hours giving John water whenever he woke to semi-consciousness and soothing him when he became restless. In the moments she was sure no one could hear her, she apologized to John and spoke to him of their friendship.

After a couple more hours of sleep, Ronon woke to find Teyla sitting on the floor next to Sheppard, her head resting on one arm on the bench. The other gently held Sheppard's hand, and he was sure both would be mortified if he ever brought it up. He couldn't help but smile at the image as he filed it away for future blackmail, wishing he had a digital camera handy.

He kept watch in the cockpit until after sunrise, when Rodney stirred. Hushing the scientist before he was awake enough to start talking, Ronon pointed to the others. They sat together in the cockpit for a while with the bulkhead door closed, and then Ronon went outside to disarm the perimeter alarm. Neither Sheppard nor Teyla had stirred when the back hatch was opened.

Ronon managed to wake Teyla long enough to convince her to sleep on the other bench, and as soon as she was settled, both men went outside. Rodney had left post-it notes on both the closed bulkhead door (to keep out the light) and the back hatch telling their teammates where they had gone. Hopefully Sheppard would be awake enough to notice the notes before he flew away and left Ronon and Rodney with a long walk back to the gate.

Ronon wanted to explore the area while Rodney favored staying close to the jumper in case the other two woke up, so they settled for heading to the beach.

"Do you think they're really okay?" Rodney asked as they stood watching the surf roll in.

"I think they're both tired," Ronon answered. "I don't know the last time either of them took a break."

"Sheppard never relaxes while we're off-world," Rodney admitted. "Teyla, well, she's Teyla. She probably just needs to light a few candles and meditate or something."

"No matter what we think, no one is infallible," Ronon said in a strange moment of sentimentality.

Rodney was quiet for a moment. "Except for you, right?"

Ronon smiled and snorted. "Yeah, sure."

It was late morning by the time the Satedan and the scientist wandered back to the jumper. "We'd better wake them," Ronon said, loathe to disturb his teammates. "Check-in is in half an hour."

Rodney paused. "Do you think we should knock or something first?"

Ronon gave Rodney a disbelieving look and hit the button to lower the ramp.

Teyla raised her head and blinked in the bright light as her teammates entered. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Rodney called out.

"You'd better be talking to Teyla," came a grumble from the other bench before Sheppard rolled over, trying to block out the light. Ronon grinned and went over to annoy his friend by poking him in the ear. As long as you didn't wake Sheppard from a dead sleep, he was fun to toy with.

Teyla eventually rose and went to get ready in as dignified a manner as possible while the rest of her team prodded each like rowdy young boys.

Half an hour later found them parked in front of the gate, dialing the DHD for Atlantis. John hit the radio as soon as the event horizon had settled back into the ring.

"Morning, Kids! No one stayed up late partying, did they?" he said, far more cheerfully than Rodney thought prudent for someone who had just woken.

A moment later Elizabeth came on. "John," she said, and Sheppard sat up a little straighter. There was something about the way she had said his name…

"How's it goin'?" he asked carefully. By now his teammates were listening intently.

"Good," she answered with a cheerfullness that was definitely fake. The thing was, it wasn't them she was so obviously trying to fool.

Sheppard turned to his other teammates and they exchanged a glance. Something was definitely up.

"Us too," he said, then added, "Anything interesting happen while we've been away?"

"It's been pretty quiet around here," she said in a way that screamed it's been anything but quiet – in fact, the sky may be falling.

"Good to hear," John said. "I guess you can survive without us a little longer, huh?"

"I don't suppose I can convince you to give us the address to the planet you're on so we can send you some fresh supplies?" she asked.

"Sorry," John said, not feeling sorry at all.

She sighed. "It was worth a try. By the way, the Daedalus just dropped off the video of that football game you've been waiting for. I hope you don't mind, but we started watching it without you."

"Do tell," Sheppard said.

"What are you doing?" Rodney hissed behind him. "How can you be talking about football at a time like this?" Sheppard silenced him with a look, and when Rodney opened his mouth again a moment later, Teyla took over muzzling-the-scientist duties.

"It was the August 19th game between the Warriors and the Raiders. The Raiders were playing a tight 20-man game, keeping about six guys guarding the goal the entire time and another dozen or so playing high winger positions. Even though the Warriors didn't have their fiercest team out front, they managed to restrict play to the main part of the field."

"Anyone get hurt? These games can get a bit rough," Sheppard said.

"The Warriors had a couple of minor injuries, but nothing that's going to end the season for any of the players. The Raiders' roster is down a couple of people, though."

"So where did you guys leave off the game?" the colonel said, smiling slightly and ignoring the muttering from the back.

"Toward the end the Warriors scored a couple of points for technical plays, but they couldn't quite gain the upper hand. I think the Raiders are hoping for revenge after their previous loss. I know the Warriors are your team, so we all had our fingers crossed for a Hail Mary," she answered. "We were waiting for you to join us to watch the end."

"Right, well it sounds good, but it'll have to wait a bit once I get home. You know how it is, it always takes an hour or so to get cleared with the infirmary and get unpacked before I'll have time to watch," John said. "Sounds like a good game. Sorry I missed the beginning. I can't wait to see it."

"I think you'll enjoy it," Weir said, and then they could hear some shuffling in the background. "I have to go, but I do hope you guys decide to come home soon."

"Yeah, well let's discuss it next time we talk. Sheppard out."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The wormhole on Atlantis snapped closed and Elizabeth sighed. Beside her, Kannath and three of his followers stepped closer to her. "Well?" the man asked. "What was that all about?"

Elizabeth sighed again. "Football. It's a game that men from my world love, for some unknown reason. I figured that if the colonel had some enticement, it might get him back here faster," she explained.

"If you are lying…" Kannath growled, once again unsheathing his knife and waving it toward Elizabeth.

This man was not nearly as intimidating as Kolya. Kannath had come to Atlantis begging news about Teyla but had stayed for an armed occupation. Fortunately, most of the scientists hadn't reported for duty yet, and the few remaining in the gateroom had managed to immediately isolate it from the rest of the city, thereby containing the incursion. Only a couple of marines had been in the gateroom at the time, and so far Elizabeth had managed to talk down anyone wanting to commit violence after the initial skirmish.

Still, her patience was wearing thin. "If I had been truthful with him, he would already be here with guns blazing, and more people would get hurt," she snapped. "Either that, or he would never bring back Teyla."

Kannath jumped back at her outburst before falling back into his usual glower. Apparently the wrath of a woman could startle even this man. He wouldn't have lasted two seconds against Teyla, Elizabeth thought.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Just spill it before you pop a gasket, McKay," Sheppard said, turning to the back of the jumper once the wormhole disengaged.

"Something is obviously horribly wrong, and all you can talk about is football?" the scientist shouted. All three teammates were looking at John now with varying degrees of expectation and curiosity.

"Of course not," John said with a laugh. "She just gave me a sit-rep. It looks like we're needed at home."

TBC


	11. The Big Plan

"What situation are you talking about?" Rodney asked. "What? Will there be violence if someone doesn't win a bet on this game?"

Sheppard stared at Rodney for a moment before saying, "You know, for a self-proclaimed genius, you can be kind of dense sometimes, McKay."

Rodney huffed. "Fine, then. Just because I'm not an expert on that waste of time you Americans call football… If you're so smart, what's going on?"

John began shifting boxes and sorting through their weapons supply.

"About twenty guys of Kannath's, or maybe even including Kannath himself, came through the gate and have taken hostages," Sheppard said. "Six of his guys are guarding the gate and the rest are spread throughout the gateroom. So far only minor injuries for us, two casualties for them. They've been restricted to the gateroom so the rest of the city is still clear. Still, for some reason the marines haven't been able to move in, and it's up to us to swoop in and save the day. Again."

"You got all that from a conversation about football?" Ronon asked, incredulous.

"Sure," Sheppard said. "Elizabeth and I came up with this long ago. Rodney, can you use your laptop to manually retract the gateroom door to the jumper bay, and maybe the outer jumper bay door, as well?"

McKay nodded, already reaching for his computer. "I may need you to enter command codes, as well, but it shouldn't be too difficult."

"Good. I'll also need you to use that back door to ensure the shield is down," Sheppard said. He turned to Teyla and Ronon. "We need a plan of attack. We move out in one hour."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Major Lorne didn't understand the words coming from the man in front of the main computer terminal in the auxiliary control room, but he understood their tone. Radek Zelenka was typing so quickly that the keys sounded like a steady drone, but obviously he wasn't having much luck.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Are you sure about this?" Rodney asked Sheppard for the fourth time. He glanced at his teammates. "I'm sure the three of us could handle this. Actually, Ronon and I could probably take care of this ourselves."

Sheppard snorted as he finished prepping the jumper. "McKay, it's my job to protect the city. Besides, I'm the one who got us into this mess. Now I'm going to get us out of it."

"I believe all of this happened because of my wedding," Teyla noted.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Of course, Colonel Flyboy over here always the hero," he said sarcastically to Sheppard. "You do realize Kannath will probably kill you on sight, right?"

"Not if I shoot him first," John said, not looking up.

Ronon didn't say anything, but he could tell by the look in Teyla's eye that no one was going to get to this guy before she did.

"And then what about the IOA?" McKay continued. "What if someone decides to arrest you?"

Sheppard chose to ignore the last part of McKay's rant. "Everyone buckled in?" he asked, sitting down at the controls. He sounded flippant, but those who knew him understood that he was all business. They all were.

He dialed the DHD and turned to Rodney. The scientist typed a few commands, then nodded at Sheppard. "We're in."

Sheppard settled in his seat. "Okay, kids. Let's go home."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Chuck called out from his seat near the console.

Elizabeth turned to Kannath. "He has to put that shield up. If it's the Wraith, we're in trouble."

"And if it's not the Wraith?" he asked.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," she answered coolly.

Kannath nodded at his man standing guard at the control panel. The man stepped back to allow Chuck access, and he immediately slapped his hand over the shield activation panel.

Nothing happened.

Chuck swore out loud, while Elizabeth kept it to herself. The two Atlantis military men straightened, but they no longer had their P-90s.

Then, instead of an IDC, a number popped up on their computers: 911. The North Americans in the room immediately knew help had arrived. Elizabeth jumped into action, surreptitiously hitting the 'send' button on her com.

"What happened? Why isn't this working?" she shouted loudly at Chuck. She strode over, nearly getting into his face.

"9-1-1," he said out loud for the benefit of the Atlantis personnel in the room who couldn't see his monitor. "Isn't that the maintenance code Dr. McKay added recently?"

"Oh, yes. The automatic program that checks the gate functions from time to time to make sure everything's okay," she said, standing back and pretending to think about it. "Is 911 one of the error codes that locks down the gate while it runs a diagnostic?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so," Chuck answered. "Dr. McKay was supposed to set these so they ran at night."

Elizabeth stood back, hoping she hadn't overplayed it, when suddenly the gate shut down, the DHD went dark, and the ceiling entrance to the jumper bay began opening.

Chuck sighed dramatically. "I also told him the bay doors kept malfunctioning with this program, but he refuses to believe me that the automatic landing protocols for the jumpers are so closely tied to gate operations."

Elizabeth bit back a laugh. McKay must be ready to explode, not being able to reply to the insults Chuck was dishing out. Schooling her face, she smiled apologetically at Kannath. 'I'm sorry," she said, not sorry at all. "We've had some problems with the gate lately. It will probably be down for a couple of hours."

"So no one will be able to come to Atlantis in that time?" he asked. "How convenient for you."

Elizabeth crosses her arms. "You saw for yourself that none of the technicians were near the computers when the gate activated. Are you saying we sabotaged the gate? Why would be do that if we want Colonel Sheppard and Teyla back, too?"

Kannath sneered, but she wasn't quite sure if he believed her.

Elizabeth didn't flinch. It was obvious now that Kannath did not understand what their technology could do. The Hail Mary had been tossed, and now they were all racing for the catch.

Sheppard had better make this good.

TBC


	12. The Big Reunion

The occupants of the jumper had been amused to see Elizabeth and Chuck making a scene up on the second level. Someone had obviously turned on their com, so they heard the entire exchange.

The scene was a bit melodramatic, Sheppard thought wryly, but everyone's attention had been focused on Elizabeth and Chuck rather than on the gate. He was betting Kannath and his people didn't know the jumpers could cloak, so they weren't looking for the tell-tale signs of an object coming through the wormhole. As soon as it became clear what was going on, Rodney used his laptop to lock down the gate while muttering threats at the other Canadian under his breath.

The jumper bay doors opened, allowing them to rise to the next level. Instead of docking the jumper in one of the stands, Sheppard let the jumper hover in the middle of the room until the doors to the gateroom had closed.

"Now what?" Rodney asked.

Sheppard bit his lip for a moment, then made his decision. "Open the outer bay doors. Hopefully Kannath's men won't notice and none of our people will say anything. I'm gonna set us down outside so we don't have to worry about getting trapped in the jumper bay while we do a sit-rep."

McKay made a few more keystrokes and then the outside doors opened above them, revealing a grey day that threatened rain. Good, the weather fit his mood perfectly, Sheppard thought.

Once outside, the colonel eased the craft down onto the East Pier, close to the entrance to the main tower but not so close that anyone coming outside would run into it.

Keeping the jumper cloaked, he turned to his friends. "Now the fun begins."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Teyla had been furious when she saw Kannath's followers, men that her people had thought worthy trading partners, violating the Atlantis gateroom. It was obvious they were not welcome there. She doubted Kannath really even cared about having her hand in marriage any more. Now it was about revenge. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself and prevent herself rushing out with P-90 blazing.

Ronon watched her from his seat behind Sheppard. If looks could kill, Kannath would be a dead man by now. He could understand her anger, but he also trusted her not to act on it without some thought.

Rodney was busy typing again and Sheppard was flipping through screens on the HUD almost faster than anyone could follow them.

Apparently having found the information he wanted, he clicked his radio. "Anyone copy?"

It was a calculated risk, but it paid off. "Colonel, is that you?" asked Lorne.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"We are on a secure line?" Sheppard asked, cutting to the chase.

"Yes, sir," Lorne answered. "Radek is running basic city functions from an auxiliary control room."

"Okay," Sheppard drawled. "And for those of us late to class, would you mind sharing what's going on?"

Everyone could hear the amusement in Lorne's voice. "Well, Kannath and his men arrived early this morning and took over the gateroom. One of the techs on duty must have initiated a quick quarantine for just that area."

"So why haven't you gone in yet?" Sheppard asked patiently.

"It is a long story, Colonel," Radek's voice cut in. "You are near the main tower, yes? We could move much more quickly if we all were in one place."

"Major?" Sheppard asked with the slightest hint of warning in his voice. This could be another trap to lure him out. He didn't think he needed to tell his second-in-command that now was not the time.

"Come to the first auxiliary control room in the next tower over. We'll explain the situation and plan our next move from here … with your permission, sir," Lorne said.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The members of Team Sheppard made their way to Auxiliary Control Room One stealthily, but it was unnecessary as they met no one along the way. Even more confused, Sheppard radioed Lorne when they arrived, requesting that no one shoot them.

With that, the doors slid open and the team members quickly slipped inside. A hush fell over the room as the doors shut behind them and Sheppard found himself face-to-face with his second. This could go one of many ways. He cleared his throat; everyone's eyes were on the pair.

"Major."

"Colonel."

"So, what's next?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Lorne quirked a smile. His CO looked tense and battle-ready, but he also looked a bit healthier and less tired since the major last saw him in the jumper bay before the big fiasco.

"Well, I suppose according to protocol I should arrest you right now," Lorne drawled with a smile.

"I was kinda hoping you were planning on continuing our policy of disregarding protocol on a regular basis," Sheppard said cautiously.

"You know how these things go," Lorne said, shrugging. "All these rules and regulations kind of slip the mind when it gets busy around here."

A collective sigh of relief spread through the room. Lorne hadn't even noticed the tension in Sheppard's team until they released the tight holds on their weapons. Even if Sheppard had gone willingly, his team would have had something to say.

Luckily, Lorne supported Sheppard's actions, secretly giving bonus points for style for the whole event. Although he had been warned beforehand about Bates' suspicions about Teyla, he really liked the woman and would never wish anything as horrible as Kannath upon her. He also knew the colonel wouldn't hold anything against him if he was forced by his superiors to take action against Sheppard, but he planned on limiting retribution as much as possible.

"So, anyone care to explain why there are bad guys in my gateroom and no good guys in the hallway?" Sheppard asked the room at large, but Lorne and Zelenka knew it was directed at them.

"Much of it has to do with the way the quarantine was initiated," Zelenka said, pushing his glasses farther up his nose as he spoke. "I do not know who did this or what they were trying to accomplish. They managed to isolate the gateroom, but there are also selective quarantines around the city."

"What? How did that happen?" McKay asked Zelenka, moving behind him to read the monitor over the Czech's shoulder. Zelenka shrugged.

"They came through about 0530, sir," Lorne said, turning back to Sheppard. "The living quarters area is one of the sectors affected by quarantine. Most people were still in bed at that time, so they're still stuck in their rooms. That's why there's no one in the hallways."

John surveyed the ragtag occupants of the room. Aside from his team, Lorne, and Zelenka, there were about ten soldiers and a couple of civilians.

"The infirmary?"

"Same thing again, sir," Lorne said. "We're not sure who's in there as communications between the sectors are down. We'll need to find a few of them if we make a move on the gateroom. I guess we picked up your signal because you landed close by and could rely on basic radios."

"I'm guessing the same thing for the gateroom, too, huh?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes, sir," Lorne said.

Zelenka piped up. "This is part of our problem. We need two Tier 1 command codes to override this quarantine. Major Lorne and I only have Tier 2 codes, and we could not raise any other senior staff on the radio to get the codes. Now that you and Dr. McKay are here, we can override it."

"Well, why didn't you say so before," McKay said, bending over the computer to start entering numbers.

"Hold on, McKay!" Sheppard called out brusquely.

"What?" McKay said indignantly.

"First we need a plan," Sheppard said tersely. "We can't just go opening the doors and letting these guys out into the city."

"And what about everyone in the gateroom?" Teyla asked. The grip on her weapon was still unconsciously tight.

"Things looked under control when we passed through," Sheppard said patiently. "They'll need to sit tight a bit longer so we can do this right and get all of our people out safely without compromising the rest of the city."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Everyone clear?" Sheppard asked, taking in the nods around the room. "Okay. Hernandez and Hoffman, you'll be with Lorne on the lower east doors. Johnson and Mossad, you'll join Ronon at the lower west door. Mitchell and Warner are taking the upper east doors, and Teyla and I will take the upper west."

He turned to a blonde woman standing next to Sergeant Balasov. "Lieutenant, are you okay going up top?"

"Yes sir," she said confidently.

"Good," Sheppard said. "Sergeant, if anything looks like it's going to go wrong you pull her out of there, even if it means scrapping Plan A."

The Russian nodded quickly and bent his head down to speak to the lieutenant.

"You two make sure these scientists stay safe," Sheppard said to the last of the unassigned soldiers in the room, jerking his head toward the console where McKay and Zelenka had set up laptops side by side. "We need them for this to work out. I'm not anticipating any problems at this end, but better safe than sorry."

Both men gave quick 'yes, sirs' before heading to their posts by the door. This was likely to be the most boring part of the mission, but Captain Edwards was still recovering from injuries sustained on an earlier mission, and John didn't want him hurting himself again so soon.

Teyla walked over to Rodney and Zelenka to give reassurances before the others left, and Ronon took the opportunity to speak quietly with Sheppard.

"You sure we should be sending her in there?" he asked the colonel. "She's pretty pissed right now."

"I know," Sheppard sighed, watching the Athosian over Ronon's shoulder. "But she deserves to be a part of this more than anyone. This is Teyla we're talking about. She'll keep a cool head."

He didn't say it, but Ronon knew Sheppard was keeping her close so he could protect her. He only hoped it didn't come back to bite them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"All positions report in," Sheppard said softly into his mic, then tilted his head slightly to listen to the replies

When everyone had affirmed that they were ready, Sheppard turned to Teyla and looked at her for a moment, taking in her features. She stood ready with her 'game face' on, but also a glint in her eye that hinted that she knew exactly what he was thinking. It was, well, so Teyla. She did not back down from his gaze but rather met his eyes. He knew it was an indulgence, but he wanted this moment just in case everything went south from here. No woman on Earth could ever live up to his friend, his real-life warrior princess.

"You ready?" he asked finally. She gave a quick nod.

"You're not planning on killing him, are you?" John asked. "It might create a bit of an incident."

She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I will restrain myself. After all, I would hate for there to be an incident."

Satisfied they were on the same page, Sheppard turned to the locked door to hide his grin. "Rodney? Radek? We're ready to move. Do your thing."

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: And thus the action begins. In the next chapter you will see the team doing what they do best: Ronon looming, John snarking, Rodney whining while quickly typing, and Teyla kicking ass. Stay tuned!


	13. The Big Brawl

Both muttering while their fingers flew over their respective keyboards, McKay and Zelenka entered the codes necessary to enact the first part of Sheppard's plan.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In the jumper bay, the hatch leading down to the gateroom began to open. The blonde lieutenant lost her balance for a moment as the panel she stood on began to move. A strong hand grabbed her left arm and steadied her. Tossing the package through the widening entrance, she called a quick warning only a trained soldier would understand before she partially jumped and was partially yanked to solid ground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Everyone in the gateroom looked up as the jumper bay doors began opening. Elizabeth was wondering if John was planning on bringing backup inside a cloaked jumper.

"Is this another one of your malfunctions?" Kannath hissed in her ear.

"Yes, it's the same thing that happened before," she answered.

However, this time he didn't buy her response. Grabbing her bodily, he began shoving Elizabeth toward her office. Beginning to panic, she almost didn't hear a distant voice call out, "Flash-bang!"

Instinctively she closed her eyes and covered her ears. Unfortunately, Kannath saw her reaction and did the same.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Move!" John called out into his radio, but it really wasn't necessary. The loud explosion in the gateroom was muted but still audible through the doors. As if that wasn't clue enough, the hallway doors leading into the gateroom shot open. Sensing Teyla at his back, John moved into the gateroom, catching glimpses of the rest of the soldiers spilling in through the other doors.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Even with her preparations, it still took Elizabeth a moment to shake off the shock of a flash-bang. The grenades were used to provide an element of surprise, to momentarily stun the opposition with a sensory overload of light and sound. Despite going through training, she still wasn't used to it.

Kannath took a few seconds more to recover, but there was not much Elizabeth could do. He blocked the walkway out of her office, and judging by the mix of anger and panic on his face, he wasn't about to quietly give in.

The look he gave her chilled her. She was partially only aware of the fighting going on in the background. There were shouts but not much gunfire.

Grabbing her by the neck, Kannath shoved Elizabeth into her office. She hoped the doors would stay open. Kannath didn't.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Most of Kannath's men went down easily, first surprised by the flash-bang and then either taken out with wraith stunners or surrendering without a fight. Although they had confiscated Lantean weapons from the gateroom guards, they obviously didn't know how to use them. The one invader who did try to shoot someone was easily neutralized because he hadn't taken off the safety first.

In less than half a minute the gateroom had been overrun and secured. Satisfied that his men had the gateroom floor under control, Sheppard noted that all of the bad guys on the upper level had been taken care of except for one: Kannath.

The man had backed into Elizabeth's office and was using her as a human shield. The scene made John realize what a coward the man really was. But there was a problem: Kannath was shorter than Kolya, so this time John really didn't have a shot around Elizabeth. This was not cool.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The retaking of the gateroom was almost over before it started. Almost.

"All clear, sir," Lorne reported over the radio from the gateroom floor.

"Not up here," Sheppard answered without taking his eyes off of Elizabeth's office door. It was closed, but both men were warily eyeing each other while Atlantis' leader tied to stay calm.

Sheppard tossed an order over his shoulder to Teyla and any other soldiers to secure the gateroom but to keep everyone else out. He trusted them to carry out his orders. He was going in.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Elizabeth watched through the glass as John slowly approached the office, the large wraith stunner in his hands never wavering. As the doors slid open, she held her breath, expecting Kannath to take action, but apparently John's slow, deliberate movements didn't alarm him.

John deliberately stepped to the side of the door as soon as he entered so as not to make Kannath feel cornered. He hadn't taken the time to check if Teyla had followed him in, but the soft hissing of the closing doors a few moments later suggested that she had stayed out in the gateroom. Good, there was no telling what this guy would do to her.

Realizing having such a large weapon in such a small space meant the stunner was just as likely to poke Kannath's eye out as stun him, John kept moving, slowly circling the room behind Elizabeth's desk. Kannath began shifting toward the door with Elizabeth in tow.

"Just let her go. She's had nothing to do with any of this," John said steadily. Okay, Elizabeth might not be completely innocent in all of this, but he had to shift the man's attention away from the city's leader.

"You are right," Kannath said evenly. "It is you I should be blaming."

Without looking toward the door, in one swift movement Kannath shoved Elizabeth in that direction and turned his sidearm onto John.

"John!" Elizabeth gasped as she regained her footing.

Not taking his eyes off of the intruder, he summoned his best commanding voice. "Go!"

With one last look she scooted out of the room, her departure evidenced by the hissing of the door and a scuffle on the walkway as his men moved her away to safety. A few moments later the door closed and they were left alone in silence. Kannath grinned a creepy smile at John.

"So this is the great John Sheppard," he mocked.

"So I'm told," John said. His arms were getting tired of holding up the heavy stunner, but he would not let Kannath see that.

"If only all the people knew: You are no hero. You are a thief, a pretender," Kannath hissed.

"Is this still about the wedding?" John asked with false exasperation. "Because really, you seem to have deeper issues you need to work out."

Kannath sneered. "You stole what was rightfully mine and made a fool of me. I will see to it that your reputation in this galaxy is ruined."

John snorted. "Yes, because I'm doing so well right now in the reputation department."

"The Athosians will never trade again," Kannath added. "You will forever be known as a Wraith worshipper."

John was pretty sure that the man was overestimating his own importance by an exponential amount, but he didn't dare call Kannath's bluff on the Athosians.

"Well, I'm glad we're finally getting to know each other, even if it is a bit late," the colonel snarked. "But I have to say, the more I get to know you, the less I like you. I can't blame Teyla for not marrying you."

"You will pay!" Kannath said, readjusting the aim of the sidearm.

John didn't flinch at the threat and prepared to shoot first, but that wasn't necessary…

There were many things Kannath did not understand about the people of Atlantis. He underestimated the level of their technology, not realizing that ships could cloak and the city could be controlled with a thought. He misjudged the lengths to which the people of Atlantis would go to protect one another, even those who grew up galaxies apart.

But perhaps his greatest mistake was to discount Teyla's ability to walk softly and carry a big stick.

Before Kannath could move his finger onto the trigger of the gun, John saw motion behind the man. His eyes did not betray it until he heard a *crack*. Standing behind Kannath, revealed as the man crumpled to the floor, stood Teyla with two bantos rods clutched in her right hand.

John strode forward and kicked the gun out of Kannath's limp hand before turning his attention to Teyla. "You okay?"

Raising the gaze from the man on the floor to the man in front of her, she smiled slightly. "I am fine, John. That was … quite satisfying," she said.

John grinned.

When the door had opened for Elizabeth's departure, John had seen Teyla crouched just outside. At first he had thought she was in the front of the line to move Atlantis' leader out of harm's way, but when the Athosian had ignored Elizabeth's reach to sneak inside the office while the other soldiers created a distraction, he had known what she was thinking. After all, it was only fitting that she be the one to take out the man who had made her life so miserable. The best plan of action had proven to be baiting Kannath with words and challenging looks to keep the man's focus on John until the disgruntled former bride could make her move.

John and Teyla both looked up as the door opened once again and a group of marines led by Lorne came in to secure Kannath.

"Nice job, sir," Lorne said with a grin. "Remind me not to play poker with you."

"I thought me winning most of your beer stash a few months ago would have taught you that already," Sheppard joked.

"Not fair, sir," his second-in-command replied. "Not everyone can count cards."

With a chuckle, the colonel stepped over Kannath and out onto the balcony to survey the scene. A group of Kannath's men was huddled in one corner, being guarded by a couple of marines and Ronon. All of the captives' attention was focused on the Satedan, who loomed over them and occasionally fingered his blaster when someone moved. Yep, the rest of the prisoners were definitely under control, John thought.

"Any casualties?" he asked Lorne, who had automatically followed his CO to assess the situation.

"No, sir," the major answered. "We took them by surprise. I don't think they understood how our weapons worked, so none of them got a shot off."

"Get that group down to a holding cell and get them food and water," Sheppard said. "We'll return them once they all wake up from being stunned and Prince Charming over there has been checked out by Carson. Make sure all of our people are checked out once the new crews arrive."

"Yes, sir," Lorne said, stepping away to make the necessary calls.

Teyla moved to take Lorne's place beside John.

"That was quite a hit," he said to her without removing his eyes from the gateroom floor. "Remind me to never piss you off."

Teyla chuckled. "I merely needed to incapacitate him. Perhaps I hit him a bit too hard."

"Well, you were angry, and rightly so," the colonel pointed out. He paused a moment, then asked, "You don't think this is going to ruin the reputation of the Athosians, do you?"

"I believe he was bluffing, as you would say," Teyla said. "Still, I must speak with Halling once you can spare someone to fly me over to the mainland. My people deserve an explanation before they pass judgment on me."

"Well, this is all my fault and you can tell them that," John said, straightening as he realized Elizabeth had re-entered the command center.

Despite the fact that he had just gotten her out of a hostage situation, again, she still looked angry as she approached. Not as angry as she could have been, he mused, but this was not going to be pleasant.

"Colonel, my office. Now!" she said coolly before turning on her heel.

Teyla could only watch as he resigned himself to his fate and followed Dr. Weir into her office.

TBC


	14. The Big Resolution

As soon as the door hissed shut, Elizabeth crossed her arms and turned to look at John. He looked slightly … more centered … than the last time she saw him, but he still looked tired. Whatever happened next wouldn't help things any.

"John, you know this can't go unpunished," she said with a hint of regret in her voice.

"What? Me saving the city? Again?" he asked sardonically, his eyes focusing on the shelf behind her desk rather than on her. It must be his automatic reflex to years of being chewed out by superiors, she mused.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You know what I'm talking about. You kidnapped a civilian member of the Atlantis expedition and interfered with an independently-brokered treaty between two Pegasus allies."

There was only silence.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she asked.

"What do you want me to say? Yes, I took Teyla off-world rather than sit back and watch her marry that guy. You'll find all of the equipment was properly reserved and the appropriate forms filed," he said, lacking some of the spirit of his earlier statement.

Elizabeth sighed and spared a brief look through the wall of her office. Teyla stood in the same spot they had left her, watching the office intently. Strike that, she was watching John intently. On one side stood Ronon, his hand on her arm, also watching Sheppard. Lorne was approaching her from the other side, looking as though he was about to say something to Teyla.

This wasn't an easy call to make. In the larger scheme of things, John was right. In a way, they were all to blame. The Athosians made the deal, the Lanteans who met up with Kannath's people could have raised objections, or John could have voiced his concerns to Elizabeth. But she knew he did not always trust diplomacy as she did, and the Pegasus galaxy had proven each of them right in turn.

But she could not turn a blind eye to her second-in-command creating such a mess. Yes, he had organized the liberation of the gateroom, but such measures would not have been necessary if he hadn't kidnapped the bride in the first place. She understood that he valued independent thinking in his men, but if he didn't answer for his actions, she'd have rogue operations coming out of her ears.

"I know you did this for Teyla, but I have to think about the city, John. I can't have a military commander who's running off to who-knows-where whenever he wants to and throwing the safety and reputation of this city in jeopardy!" Elizabeth said, some of her exasperation leaking into her voice.

To his credit, John didn't flinch. He remained at attention, posture stiff and hands clasped behind his back.

"Should I just resign now and save you the paperwork that comes with firing me?" he asked flatly.

Elizabeth suddenly realized where all of this was going. Yes, she was angry, but perhaps she had let her familiarity with John get in the way, letting too many of her true thoughts leak through and neglecting to utilize her diplomatic skills, for she was also grateful for what he had done. Had she been that harsh the past few days, or did he just have such a low opinion of his standing?

"That won't be necessary," she said, letting a smile grace her lips. "Let's say 36 hours confined to quarters and call it even."

"And after that?" he asked.

"I believe you still have a couple days of vacation left. Maybe you could finally teach Ronon to appreciate the finer points of water sports," she answered.

"But what about the SGC?" he asked. "Aren't they going to want answers?"

"About what?" she asked innocently. "As far as they're concerned, the wedding plans fell through and you're on vacation offworld."

John couldn't help but grin. "Thanks," he said, relief coursing through him.

"Oh, John," she called after him as he headed to the door.

"By the way, thanks for saving me from a hostage situation. Again. Just promise you won't go kidnapping teammates and breaking up treaties again."

He paused for a moment at the entrance before turning to her, his face once again serious. "You know me too well for that," he said. "You know I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

She nodded and he walked out, stopping to talk to Lorne, Teyla and Ronon. He even assigned himself a guard on the way out. Yes, she thought, you would do it again in a heartbeat. That's what makes you John Sheppard.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Teyla did not move from her spot along the railing when Elizabeth called John into her office. She watched her friend through the glass, oblivious to the commotion around her in the control room.

She could see Elizabeth cross her arms and say something to John, which he answered while staring straight forward, standing at attention as she had seen him order his men to do for formal occasions. She wished she could be in that room now. Teyla had to admit she didn't trust John to spread the blame equally. He would probably take full credit for the 'kidnapping' in order to protect her once again. She could not let him do that.

Teyla made to move forward and interrupt the conversation when a hand on her arm halted her. She looked up, irritated, to find Ronon watching her.

"Leave it," the Satedan told her as though reading her mind. "This is something he needs to deal with."

Teyla looked morosely through the window. She saw Elizabeth glance at her, but she kept her gaze fixed on John, looking for some sign in his expression of what was transpiring. Most people would have seen only a bland expression, but Teyla's heart sank as she saw the resignation in his eyes.

"It should never have come to this," she said softly.

Her despair must have shown on her face, because a moment later Lorne's voice right next to her made her jump. She hadn't even heard him approach.

"Don't worry, Teyla," he said reassuringly. "It'll be okay."

Letting her mouth run away from her in very uncharacteristic fashion, Teyla blurted out, "But what if he is sent away? This was not his battle to fight, but he fought it anyway."

When Lorne had first arrived on Atlantis he had misinterpreted the relationship between the colonel and Teyla, but long ago he had come to understand that whatever the reason the two had never gotten together, they had a friendship that most people envied. Even if they weren't romantically involved, it would crush them both to be separated.

Besides, he had twenty bucks riding on a bet that they would hook up within the next month. Chuck and Zelenka had been busy with betting pools for the past few weeks, ever since Teyla's initial announcement.

"It won't come to that," Lorne said confidently. "Whatever happens, we all know he did the right thing, and he would never have it any other way."

They all unconsciously sighed in relief when Elizabeth said something to Sheppard and he actually grinned. Eager to hear what happened, they all stepped forward, hardly able to contain their impatience as the colonel stopped at the doorway to say something to Elizabeth before he emerged.

"I'm off to be confined to quarters," he said somewhat jokingly. He handed his stunner and sidearm to a waiting marine and turned to Lorne, opening one of the pockets on his tac vest. Pulling out the jumper remote, he tossed it to the major.

"Could you get someone to move the jumper off of the east pier and into the jumper bay?" he said flippantly. "We didn't park in the usual lot and I don't want to get a ticket."

Lorne chuckled. "I'll get right on that, sir."

"By the way, you're still in charge for a few more days," Sheppard said.

Teyla let out a sigh of relief. Whatever happened, John would return to duty.

"I expected as much," Lorne said dryly. "I can't wait to get back to the paperwork."

John quirked a grin at them and gave Teyla a look that told her everything would be all right.

"Guess I'll see you guys when they spring me in 36 hours," he said. Gesturing to one of the gateroom guards, he began to walk away. "Lieutenant, it's your lucky day. You get to be my new friend until the end of your shift."

When John had left the gateroom, Teyla turned to Lorne.

"Major, when it is convenient, could someone fly me over to the mainland? I must speak with my people face-to-face," she said.

Lorne hesitated a moment. "I won't have anyone available until this evening."

Teyla bit her lip but did not wish to complain, but then Ronon spoke up. "Get McKay to do it," he said.

The major considered it a moment and then nodded. "If you can peel him away from his computers, go for it," he said. He tossed the jumper remote to Ronon. "Here, take this one. At least you know where Colonel Sheppard parked."

Teyla smiled in thanks and Ronon gave Lorne a quick nod before the major returned to his duties. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Ronon said, "Come on, let's go bug McKay."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

McKay, of course, grumbled about being dragged away from the city 'at such a vital time', despite Zelenka repeatedly pointing out that the quarantine had been completely overridden and the fixes to the program could easily wait a few hours. McKay had to admit defeat when Teyla smiled at him hopefully, and he agreed to meet them at the jumper in half an hour.

Ronon and Teyla wandered the city while waiting, walking in comfortable silence. Ronon could see the tension and fatigue on his friend's face, so he steered her toward the cafeteria for a cup of tea before departure.

Teyla held the cup, warming her hands, and managed to take a few sips. To the casual observer she appeared to simply be passing the time, but Ronon could see the tension in her bearing. They both sat gazing out of the window for a few minutes.

"Would you do it again?" Ronon asked suddenly.

"What exactly are you referring to," she asked, "getting married or agreeing to a strategic withdrawal?"

"Both."

Teyla looked back out of the window and thought for a moment. "I would like to have a meaningful relationship someday," she said. "You know as well as I that things in this galaxy have always been done out of necessity, and it was only good fortune if it worked out in the interests of everyone. But the people of Earth live as they wish to, not as it is dictated to them. I am afraid I have picked up some of their sentiments."

"And the strategic withdrawal?"

Teyla smiled. "Of course. Otherwise, I would not have learned about surfing."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Teyla and Ronon were standing on the back of jumper five waiting for Rodney. The two Pegasus natives did not bother him about his tardiness since they had been chatting with one of the guards while they waited.

Teyla had no illusions about the conversation. The fresh-faced young marine from somewhere called North Dakota had always been courteous to her. This time, she had asked him about his recent visit home and in return he had asked if she had at least gone somewhere nice during her abduction.

Teyla smiled and carefully edited her answers, mostly to protect John's privacy, and nodded her good-byes as Rodney came bustling in. No doubt the details would be circulated throughout Atlantis before their jumper left the city. Still, she knew the expedition members had to find entertainment where they could. There was probably a lot of money and chocolate riding on that conversation.

The distractions created by Ronon and the young guard had kept Teyla from worrying about her people's reaction to her return, but once they were airborne her anxiety returned. She became lost in thought as she stared at the water passing beneath them.

To his credit, Rodney noticed something was up after watching Teyla for a few moments.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"I am fine," she said. "Just worried about the reception I will receive."

There was silence for a moment, then Ronon spoke.

"If we ever get there," he said. "McKay, are you even flying in a straight line?"

"What, has Sheppard been teaching you how to be a backseat driver now?" the scientist shot back.

Teyla smiled as she watched her teammates trade insults, partly to annoy each other and partly to amuse her. It worked. By the time they arrived on the mainland, Ronon had threatened to shoot Rodney, Rodney had threatened to lower the temperature controls in Ronon's room so far that 'the shower spray would freeze halfway to the floor', and Teyla was laughing at their antics.

Rodney landed the jumper neatly in a clearing near the Athosian settlement despite Ronon's attempts to distract him. They moved to the back of the jumper so Teyla and Rodney could clip on their P-90s. Clapping his hand on her shoulder, Ronon said, "Don't worry. They still like you."

At Teyla's nod, Ronon hit the door release. As daylight filtered in through the back of the jumper, Teyla took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and walked out to meet her people and her fate.

TBC


	15. The Big Talk

Halling stood waiting for her with an unreadable look on his face. Teyla stepped forward and hesitated slightly as they bent forward in the Athosian greeting. They held the embrace just a moment longer than usual, and Teyla understood then that Halling had been as apprehensive about their meeting as she had been.

"I am glad to see you are well," Halling said, relieved.

"I am fine, Halling," she said. "Colonel Sheppard would not let anything happen to me."

His jaw clenched for a moment at the name, but he nodded his head. "The others are waiting. We should meet with them."

Teyla nodded her agreement and began to follow Halling. When she noticed her teammates had not moved, she turned and gestured for them to follow. The irony that these days she preferred her teammates with her even amongst her people was not lost on her.

As soon as they entered the main area of the settlement, people began calling Teyla's name and coming forward to greet her. After much talking and forehead-touching, she and Halling sat near one of the shelters with some of the elders. Feeling slightly out of place, Ronon and Rodney sat at a table to the side. Eventually, some of the Athosians came over to chat (or ask gently probing questions, in Rodney's opinion), but he didn't mind because they also brought food.

Over by the tent, Teyla bowed her head and issued her apology to the others for what had happened. "I fear my actions have damaged the reputation of the Athosians."

"But you should not apologize for what Colonel Sheppard did. He is not one of us," one of the elders said.

Teyla knew she could let that comment stand, but everyone deserved the truth. She took a breath.

"It is true that Colonel Sheppard was the one who planned the 'strategic withdrawal'," she said, smiling slightly at the terminology. "But he did not act alone. As we sat in the jumper, he asked for my permission to carry out his plan. I could have said no."

She was surprised when, a moment later, one of the oldest women in the village leaned forward and patted her hand. "But you did not, and for that we are glad. The man you were supposed to marry has proven himself to be less than worthy of you. It is we who should be apologizing to you."

Teyla shook her head. "You only did what you thought was best for our people."

"And you acted on instinct, and those actions proved to be what was best for our people," the woman said, sitting back and winking. "Perhaps everything turned out for the best."

"But what of our reputation?" Teyla asked, confused by this outpouring of goodwill.

"I think Kannath overestimates his importance," Halling said. "Our trading partners know us for our dealings, and I believe our relationships will continue as they always have."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Flying back to the city after her meeting, Teyla could not help but smile. The meeting had gone far better than she ever could have expected. Not only had they forgiven her, but they had apologized for putting her in such a position. They all knew the old ways were changing.

Rodney was positively cheerful after the happy outcome and lots of food. Ronon was much the same, albeit in his quieter manner.

"So, dinner?" Ronon asked as they left the jumper after returning to the city.

Teyla had to admit that dinner sounded good, now that the tension that had clenched her stomach and frazzled her nerves for the past few weeks was gone. However, there was something she had to do first.

"I will check on John and meet you later if he has already eaten," she said.

"Oh, we could all go," Rodney said. "Although he's in there, perfectly happen to gel his hair and daydream about hot women, or … Oof!"

Ronon's elbow to the side was neither subtle nor did anything to improve Rodney's mood, but it did stop him from talking long enough for Ronon to steer him toward the mess hall while Teyla headed the opposite direction on her errand.

"Corporal," she said, greeting the man standing watch outside the colonel's door. "How are you this evening?"

"Just fine, ma'am. Yourself?"

"Fine, thank you. Has the colonel eaten dinner yet?" she asked.

The corporal shook his head. "It's been pretty quiet in there all day. I haven't heard a thing since I came on shift two hours ago, but apparently he's in there."

Teyla thanked the marine and headed to the mess hall. She waved to Rodney and Ronon, who were talking to Lorne, likely filling them in on the day's events. Managing to balance two dinners on one tray, she headed back to John's room.

The corporal saw her coming with her hands full and rang the door chime. When there was no answer, he opened the door for her and took a peek inside before moving aside to allow Teyla through.

The room was dimly lit, the shades having been pulled over the windows. Immediately Teyla noticed the lump in the bed, and as she rounded the bed, walking toward the table, she could see a shock of dark hair against the white pillow.

The corporal kept watching the room as Teyla made her way through it, using the light provided by the open door to find her way. He had to admit he was curious about what would happen now. He had heard the stories not only about the two of them, but also that waking the colonel from a deep sleep could be a dangerous thing.

Teyla, having set down the dinner tray, placed her hand on Sheppard's shoulder and gave a light shake while calling his name. At that moment, the door slid shut.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"John," Teyla said gently, shaking his shoulder (or what she assumed was his shoulder – it was difficult to tell with all of those blankets). When there was no answer, she tried again, and this time there was an unintelligible grumble from beneath the covers.

"Wake up," Teyla said. "Am I right in assuming you did not eat lunch? You need to eat."

Having been busted, John finally returned to the land of the living. Teyla had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as he sat up groggily. It was at moments like these, half-asleep and with hair even wilder than usual, that he looked most sweet and innocent.

One reason Teyla was often paired in a tent with John on off-world missions was that she was the only person who could safely wake him from a sound sleep. She had laughed off her teammates' speculation on that subject until the time Rodney had attempted to wake John and had ended up on the ground with one hand squeezing his neck and the other holding a gun to his face. She was sure it had something to do with the method of waking the sleeping man, but Rodney was steadfast in his theory that her Wraith telepathy carried over into humans and that with her, John's brain knew he was safe before he was even awake.

Once she was sure her friend had fully returned to consciousness, Teyla opened the shades and the windows. A fresh breeze fluttered into the room as daylight began to fade. In the distance, storm clouds gathered in the west, but they were far enough away that they would not reach the city until after nightfall. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, Teyla set about arranging the table.

John tried to swipe a hand through his hair to flatten it, but he was pretty sure it was a useless gesture. Yawning, he got up for the first time in several hours. Making his way over to the table, he sat down across from Teyla.

They ate in companionable silence, occasionally making small talk. John was relieved to hear about the Athosians' take on the whole matter. He was happy to see that Teyla finally looked at peace, if a bit tired. His next visit to the mainland might not be so pleasant, but that was something he could deal with.

"Thanks for dinner," he said, leaning back after polishing off his piece of pie. "I didn't realize it was so late." He felt a bit guilty that she eaten dinner with the prisoner rather than enjoying her new freedom in the dining hall of Atlantis.

"You are welcome," she said, smiling one of her brilliant smiles. John smiled back.

"We should go out on the balcony," she added. "The meteorologist said it was likely to rain tomorrow, so we may not be able to go outside."

After piling up their dishes, the two of them stood out on John's balcony just as they had done so many times throughout the city.

As he leaned his elbows against the railing, John turned to look at the woman beside him. Teyla's hair, whipping in the wind, was a golden glimmer against the darkening sky. She was looking out to sea, content. Unless she was planning an ambush for him, these past few weeks were now just a memory and everything was moving on.

Finally, she turned to him with a gentle look in her eyes and said the words he both wanted and dreaded to hear:

"John, we need to talk."

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: The Conclusion. Will our heroes fall in love? Will they all fly off into the sunset together? Will Rodney learn any people skills? Stay tuned…


	16. The Big Finish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Drum roll* And now, the conclusion…

For the next few days, the two marines standing outside Col. Sheppard's door when Teyla walked out were the two most popular people in the city.

But even when plied with free drinks, the two men had to admit they didn't have much to add to the stories that were already circulating around Atlantis.

Teyla had walked out bearing the tray of empty plates, sporting a bland look on her face. She nodded politely to the marines before heading down the hallway toward the mess hall. Sparing a quick look into the room before the door closed, the corporal could not see much in the dark room except what looked like a Sheppard-shaped lump on the bed. The colonel must have gone back to sleep.

What the two men hadn't seen was the smile that graced Teyla's lips once she turned the corner.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

No one, not even Ronon or Rodney, was ever certain about what had happened in Sheppard's room that night.

To the casual observer, things seemed no different between the colonel and Teyla than they had ever been. Speculation was rampant for the first few days, but gradually the fervor died down, and watching the interaction between the two was replaced by more popular sports. Even those trained to be subtle and unobtrusive observers never caught the two being anything more than teammates and friends.

Still, to those who knew them best – Ronon, Rodney, Elizabeth – something changed that night. It wasn't obvious, but occasionally there was … something. A deeper smile. A lingering look. A demeanor that suggested happiness rather than longing.

Zelenka nearly tore his hair out because some bets needed to be settled, and the evidence was inconclusive.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

After John's 'release from captivity', as he called it, the team headed back to M2R-462 for a real vacation. John claimed they needed to rescue the champagne and other supplies left behind when they had returned to Atlantis to liberate the gateroom, but Elizabeth knew the team could use the downtime to actually relax and enjoy themselves before the next crisis arose.

If she overlooked the discrepancies in the inventory of the champagne, well, that was her gift to them.

And so it came to be that Team Sheppard spent four days on holiday, returning to the city tanned and revitalized. To John's surprise, Ronon took to surfing like a fish to water. Teyla did not try full-on surfing again, but she seemed to enjoy the body surfing that John taught her. Rodney kept to the beach, but his friends were actually able to pry his computer out of his hands for a couple of days. In its place he caught up on the latest science journals from Earth, which he claimed was relaxing and everyone else thought was ridiculous.

In the evenings after their time at the beach, the team sat around the fire drinking champagne and eating the food slipped into their jumper by the city cooks. Their laughter filled the cool night air, and they spent many hours just enjoying each other's company before heading off to bed. It was nice to bond with nary a life-threatening situation in sight, for a change.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

If anything more happened between Teyla and John on that trip, Ronon and Rodney weren't telling.

It's not that they didn't notice certain people slipping off for a couple of hours to 'rearrange supplies in the jumper' or 'check the perimeter'. Indeed, the arrangement of two sleeping bags on each side of the fire was strictly for symmetry, of course. And, naturally, all of the laughter was simply a release of all of the tension that came with enduring so many stressful situations for so long.

Ronon was happy to keep watch over his friends but not tell. It resolved something within the team that no one had even realized needed resolving. At first Rodney felt the need to state the obvious, but a few well-placed smacks upside the head by his teammates (and not just the male ones) quickly taught him it was better just to shut his mouth and be happy for them.

When they returned to Atlantis and all those prying eyes, the team presented a united front, as though nothing had happened at all.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Two weeks later

Rodney was already in the rec room fussing over the technology when Teyla and John entered. Ronon sat on a chair to the side, looking amused as Rodney groused about something or other. In the scientist's left hand was a DVD – John was pretty sure he saw Julia Roberts' face. He groaned.

"Rodney, don't tell me you're making us watch a chick-flick tonight," John said.

Rodney stammered for a moment before saying, "Well, I thought Teyla might appreciate this one."

"Do you assume that because I am a woman, I naturally gravitate toward such films?" she asked, one eyebrow quirked, daring Rodney to answer truthfully.

"Come on, let's see. What is it?" John asked from behind her.

Rodney suddenly looked apprehensive as he held up the movie: The Runaway Bride.

"Rodney," Teyla growled, slowly advancing on him. If McKay hadn't just made a colossal error in judgment and incurred the wrath of Teyla, John would have laughed at the look of panic on the scientist's face. Rodney quickly rounded the other side of the couch and took off through the door.

"I hardly see him run that fast when we're under fire," Ronon observed as he looked at the empty doorway.

Teyla plopped down in the middle of the couch and picked up the discarded DVD, reading the summary on the back.

"Aren't you going after him?" John asked almost hopefully.

"No," she said demurely as she continued to read. "I will let him panic for a while. He needs the exercise. But he will pay the next time we train together."

John chuckled and dropped down next to her, hoping he would have a chance to see that sparring session. "Is this film worth watching?" she asked.

"Nah," he said, sliding to the floor to check out a pile of DVDs stored beneath the television. "Let's find a real movie to watch."

About 10 minutes into Top Gun, Rodney crept back into the darkened room with a bowl of popcorn as a peace offering. Together the team spent the next two hours discussing Earth culture, arguing about pointless things, and eating. For that night, at least, things were as they should be. Life was good.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from fanfiction.net


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